Harriet the Witch
by StalkSongGo55
Summary: Harriet has been called many things. Dark, creepy, scary, evil, and a witch. She loves it. She loves to mess with people and do weird things to get a reaction out of them. She's complicated like that. Suddenly, an incident forces her to transfer to a new high school. In Japan. Oh well, she'll just do what she always does. However, fate has something in store for her. CHAPTER 12 UP!
1. The Witch Adjusts

**AN: God I became such Haikyuu trash that I couldn't avoid writing a fanfic about it! *slams head to the table while crying***

 **Sigh... anyway this chapter is kind of just an intro to the characters that'll be involved, mostly Harriet, so hopefully it's not boring.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The Witch Adjusts

 _I wanna die…_

 _Sooooo bad right now._

I repeated the phrase over and over again, feeling the full on impact of the situation I'm in.

Like a brick to the face.

Hear me out, I have nothing against Japan. Love the place. The fashion, oh god the fashion; I just know I'll blow away my entire savings once I step into their malls. I hear their reputation for food is pretty good too and the sights there are to be breathtaking. Japan is great.

For a vacation spot.

I blew my died violet hair out of my face in irritation, my back slouched forward as I tapped my foot impatiently. I had to be standing here in the airport for over an hour by now. My facial expression must not be pleasant because people left and right hurriedly moved passed me, making sure to avoid my gaze. It's not surprising. I mean with my affinity for wearing dark clothes and dark makeup, who wouldn't react that way? I would've been pleased to see such reactions, but right now I am just too pissed to care.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I quickly fished it out, bracelets jangling to my movements, and immediately answered. It had to be them. It **better** be them, because I swear to god if they don't explain why they are taking so long to pick me up-

"Yo Starshine!"

I paused my inner rant, not at all expecting to hear his voice.

"Dad?"

"Yeah it's me. Listen, I just got the news rather late. Sorry about that. So, the day has arrived huh? You'll be living with my brother and his family."

I sighed. "Yeah. That's the plan."

"Hey don't be so bummed out! You love Adrian! And sure, you and your cousin don't see eye to eye at times, but I know there's a spot in your little dark heart for him too."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile formed on my black painted lips. I rarely get to talk with my dad, but when it happens it's always refreshing.

"I know this isn't what you want but your mother only wants what's best for you. Don't worry, Japan is great. Take it from me. You'll love it there!"

My smile vanished slightly. "Dad, I know I'll like it here. I just don't want to _live_ here."

"It's only until you finish high school, which is only… three years am I right? Anyway, tell you what, if you make decent grades, higher than average, I'll see what I can do to help you get into one of those universities in Paris."

"SERIOUSLY?!"

I didn't care if my sudden outburst spooked innocent passerby just trying to get through the day, this is more than anything I could possibly have hoped for! They should be thankful I'm giving it my all to prevent a scream that would surely come out.

My dad laughed in the other end of the line. "Pumped up? Good. Remember, good grades. And not a word of this to your mother. Do we have a deal?"

I nodded eagerly before realizing my dad wouldn't see it, so I quickly said, "Deal! I'll score perfects in all classes! Just you wait!"

"You're a smart girl. I don't doubt you for a second. Wait, hold up." I hear him talking to someone for a bit. I couldn't make out what was said but I knew it had to do with his job. As soon as he was done, he went back to me. "Sorry, but I have to cut this short. Our next concert is coming up and we have to prepare. This is a huge one."

I could practically feel the excitement emanating from his voice alone. It was a wave of passion so strong and mighty that I knew, he loves doing what he does, and I believe he'd rather die than give it all up. The feeling made my heart swell. It's one of the things I love most about my dad, and even though mom and I get lonely without him, I'd rather prefer it this way if it makes him happy.

"I'll talk to you again as soon as possible okay?"

"Alright," I say, grinning into the phone. "Knock'em dead dad."

"Hey, you know I always do." I can tell he's grinning right back. "Oh and one more thing, make friends this time. I know you're pretty proud of the title kids gave you back in your old school, The Nightmare Witch, but schools are made to be social."

"Mom's making you say this isn't she?"

"She's not wrong, and she'll bite my head off if I take your side in this. At least don't torture your classmates."

It was then one of my signature wicked smiles made itself known. Those who saw it shivered as if they felt ice touch their skin. I wanted to laugh when one of the poor younger boys tripped his feet and soon scurried onwards once he composed himself, dragging his heavy baggage behind him.

"No promises daddy," I said innocently. He sighed.

"Well, at least she can't scold me for not trying. Do your best Harriet, my starshine. I love you."

My heart swelled again, and my smile changed into something gentler. Softer.

"I love you too."

Our conversation ended, even though I didn't want it to end, and my phone was back in my pocket. I exhaled slowly as I leaned against the wide glass windows behind me, luggage pooled around my feet as people continued to pass by me. I decided to scan the chaos in front of me, hoping to see the familiar face of my uncle. So far, no such luck.

Giving up, I closed my eyes. I thought back to the conversation I had with my mother about a month ago, back in America.

" _Are you fucking kidding me?!"_

" _Harritet Thompson, language!"_

" _No! Just- I can't believe you made this decision behind my back! When was I ever gonna get any say in this?!"_

" _Darling listen, I didn't want it to come to this, but you have gotten into enough trouble-"_

" _You know I didn't do anything wrong!"_

" _You put yourself in danger!"_

" _And what if I hadn't done anything?! What then?!"_

" _Allow the police to handle it! My god Harriet you are not a superwoman, you are a child!"_

" _For the last time mom, I can take care of myself-"_

" _DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND YOU COULD'VE DIED!"_

That was the first I've ever heard her shout like that, and I've gotten into trouble many times before. But that moment, seeing her fall to her knees as if all her strength left her, fresh tears staining her youthful-like face, what I did really took a toll on her. I believe the worst part was when she clutched onto her flat stomach with trembling hands and whispered...

" _I can't… I can't lose another baby… I just can't…"_

I opened my eyes and stared at the white marble floor. Mom always had the habit of blaming herself when something tragic happens to the family. I knew I made her worry. I was the only thing she had. Back then she must've thought, "I've failed to protect her once again. I'm a terrible mother. It's all my fault." Me, and at times my dad when he's back home from performing, would constantly remind her it's not true, while buying her ice cream, chocolates, and play her favorite movies on TV. It's what I did that day as well.

Though I felt guilty for making her worry, I didn't regret doing what I did. My dad stood with me on that. Silently. He knew I was a tough girl but he also knows about my mother's fragile heart, which was why he agreed on the idea for me to live with Uncle Adrian. She trusted him the most out of all my relatives and knowing I would be taken under his wing for the rest of my high school years would put her at ease. Plus, being surrounded by him and his family under one roof would keep me busy. Understanding that now, I was fine with it. But…

"If only they could've moved to Paris instead," I mumbled quietly.

"You're still complaining about that? Geez Harriet, to think you'd have matured by now."

My shoulders tensed in alarm. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to see… an obnoxious pearly white smile.

Oh dear god _._

"I see your face hasn't changed either. You're not gonna attract any guys if you make expressions like that."

"What are you doing here _Scott_?"

"Picking you up, obviously. What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't?"

And here he is, the person who I'm least excited to see during my three years in hell. My cousin, a.k.a. Scott, the self-loving nuisance. I've known him for almost my entire life before he moved three years ago. I can't recall a single moment where we hadn't picked fights with each other. Adults sometimes had to intervene when it got out of hand.

I will admit when he left, things got a bit dull.

Though he's grown taller and just graduated fresh out of high school, he still looks like the same prick I once knew, with aviators hanging above his dark head, baggy hoodie, and tight jeans.

"Where's Uncle Adrian?"

"At work. The shop's pretty busy today."

"Busy selling instruments?"

"And giving lessons! Seriously, I thought you were informed of this already!"

"Hari-chan!"

A young boy around my age came running towards us through the crowd before I was about to make a snarky remark. My eyes lit up.

"Jun!"

Jun, full name Junichi, is another cousin of mine, step cousin, and is Scott's step brother. Though, we've known each other for a short time, I quickly became attached to him. Once he was close enough, I trapped him in one arm and ruffled his fluffy brown hair.

"O-Oi! Quit it! I just combed it this morning!"

"Too bad, you look better when it's all messy!"

"Hari-chaaaan! So meaaan!"

I laughed and released him from his trap. Now the first thing I think of when seeing his new and improved hair styled by yours truly is a fluffy bunny ready for winter. I can imagine him blushing if I tell him that.

Jun huffed, a bit upset that a girl could handle him like that, but grinned widely.

"Still a bully as always Hari-chan."

I gasped dramatically. "Now I find that hurtful! Only one of us here is the real bully and he's not even in college!"

"You don't need college if you already have a job miss smartypants," Scott said, pulling my cheek. It stung. I snapped my teeth at those fingers but he quickly pulled away in time. The bastard.

"Whoa, watch it! Those fangs might be laced with poison or something."

"Then you're an idiot for being too close."

Jun chuckled as he watched us bicker back and forth. "Wow, it's only the start of the day and you two are already fighting. We should get going though. It's a long ride home and it's getting close to dinner time."

The thought of needing food never crossed my mind until I finally paid attention to the way my stomach growled and twisted inside like a beast. I held my stomach and stared at Scott intently.

"Food. Now. Let's move."

He rolled his eyes as if he didn't mind if I starve. "Alright alright, your majesty."

I kicked him in the shin. His howls were music to my ears.

"Hey! I need that to drive you know!" he hissed.

My wicked smile was back, coated with sweet sugar.

"My apologies dear Scott. Next time, I'll aim for your **balls** , since you don't need that to drive."

Both Scott and Jun paled at my comment and my smile. In their heads I can practically hear them think in unison,

 _She really is a witch._

Damn right I am.

* * *

I had to endure my hunger for another hour and a half before we finally made it to what would be dubbed my new home. I thought I've researched enough about what to expect in Japan, specifically the Miyagi Prefecture, but I guess what they say is true. Nothing can prepare you for the actual experience. This place is so… different, compared to LA. My dad once told me that the more you travel to different countries, the more you realize how small you are in the world.

Those words have never been more true. I've never traveled outside the US before and I never thought doing it would be a big deal as long as you know what you're doing. But during the ride, as I gazed outside the passenger car window while Jun eagerly pointed out certain places we should visit soon... I felt so lost. I felt like everything I learned vanished and I was left bare and vulnerable in unknown territory.

But at the same time, I was excited. This new world is my new home waiting to be explored in every way possible. Sure first times can be scary and nerve wrecking, but I've been known to adjust to new things very quickly.

Their home was a mix-use, the first floor being a family owned music shop while the second floor supports living space. At this time, the shop was closed and my cousins lead me through the empty room (while carrying most of my things, Scott whining about how girls feel the need to own so much useless junk) filled with neatly organized instruments of almost every kind. As I was mindlessly checking out the section where they had traditional Japanese instruments, I failed to notice something white and fluffy come my way until a loud bark snapped me out of it.

A Samoyed looked up at me, a cotton white cloud with a mouth, paws, and curly tail moving back and forth erratically.

"Well hi there. How are you?" I knelt down to pet the cotton cloud between the ears. It smiled and pressed further into my hand, enjoying the attention.

"Her name's Miki," I heard Jun say behind me. "Though she's only a year old, she's a really smart pup."

"It's nice to meet you Miki.~" I say to the Samoyed. Miki responded by giving me a gentle lick to my nose.

Ah dogs, my one weakness.

I then followed the boys up the stairs located in the back with Miki trailing behind.

"Harriet!"

"Uncle!"

I pummeled my uncle into a bone crushing hug once we entered the second floor, forgetting to take off my shoes. Adrian, as you should already know by now, is my dad's brother. They're fraternal twins, my dad being the energetic/aggressive type, while my uncle is more down to earth. They both have the same facial features, except Adrian's hair is longer and supported a lighter color than my dad's dark brown hair. Though they hold many differences, they also have lots of similarities.

Such as their passion for music. Both knew what they wanted to do since the got out of their diapers. Or so I was told by my grandmother on one interesting Christmas night.

After showing him all the love I could give by making sure he couldn't breathe, I released him. Winded, Adrian patted my purple head.

"Just like your father," he said, smiling. "He would also hug me to the point of nearly breaking my spine. On purpose."

"If he does break your spine one day, I'll be sure to return the favor." Stepping out from what I believe was the kitchen, came Kunio, armed with an apron decorated with bunnies on it and a silver spoon. He's basically Jun, his brown hair just as fluffy, but always wears a scowl on his face. Adrian laughed.

"Aw come on Kuni, it's all in good fun."

"I will not have a disabled husband."

"Aha. I'll be careful, I promise."

Kunio's scowl deepened, but no matter how much he tries to look angry, he always comes off looking adorable instead. Grinning, I went over to give Kunio a gentler hug. He was caught off guard at first before I felt his arms around me, hugging me back.

"Harriet," he said my English name in his thick Japanese accent. "I've missed you so much. You've grown."

I grinned wider. "I missed you too 'Auntie'."

That earned me a smack to the head. It stung but it was worth it seeing Kunio's flustered red face.

"Little brat…" he muttered, storming back into the kitchen. Miki followed him. He called out, "And take off your shoes! You're not in LA!"

"I got it, I got it," I say, doing just that while laughing. Adrian laughed beside me.

Because it's no big news that Kunio likes being called auntie just as much as he likes being called mom.

"Alright, enough torment young lady. Go drop your stuff in the guest room. Everything's all set up for your stay. All you need to do is unpack. But before you do that, come eat. You must be famished."

"Yeeessss." I hurriedly took the route I saw my cousins take to my new room.

I rarely had Japanese food; only happened upon Asian restaurants from time to time whenever my mom and I were too lazy to cook. Though I know for sure nothing beats a home-cooked meal, and even though I didn't really know what I was doing (chopsticks are not primary utensils used in the US) and I didn't know the names of half of the dishes set out before me, I had a great time, everything was delicious, and I think I've gained Miki's love and affection by sneaking pieces of my portion under the table for her to eat.

That is until Kunio caught me and wacked me upside the head. Again.

Still worth it.

After dinner, I helped clear the plates and after washing them (much to Kunio's protest), I received a call from my mom and the entire conversation was pretty much of her asking if I had a safe trip, if the boys were treating me well, and her crying about how much she already misses me. I love my mom. She can be a bit much but that's just how she is. I retired to my room soon after. True to my uncle's word, a bed was made for me, as well as other furniture, such as a desk and an empty shelf. I was even surprised to find a computer there with a note that says it's a surprise gift from my uncles, along with a side note that says it'll be necessary for my studies so I shouldn't bother thanking them. Too bad I'm a rebel Kunio so expect lots of thanks from me!

I plummeted face first on the bed with a heavy sigh. I didn't realize how tired it was, but it is getting really late. Thank god it's the weekend so I'll have a free day off until I start my first day as a transfer student. Karasuno High was it?

Yay.

Please note the sarcasm.

 _Knock. Knock._

I heard someone knocking, but I'm way too tired to move. Plus this bed's comfy.

"Speak your purpose mortal!" I shouted instead.

"Um… what?" It was Jun's voice. I giggled into the mattress.

"Come in Usagi-chan."

"Please don't call me that…" he muttered as he let himself inside. Miki ran in ahead of him and leaped onto the bed beside me. I sat up and let her snuggle her furry butt onto my lap.

"I see she's already taking a liking to you," Jun said, taking his spot to my right. "Scott's gonna be jealous. It's been months since we got her and she still ignores him most of the time."

"So she knows how to hang with the right people. Wow she really is smart!" I scratch Miki's belly. "That's right. You're a smart girl. Yesh you are.~"

"Hey, um…"

I glanced at Jun, his face serious and laced with worry and concern.

"What's up?"

"Well uh…" Something tells me that whatever it is, it must be something he wanted to say for a while. He fidgets a little, staring intently at his twined fingers, not looking at me directly. "It's just… I know this isn't any of my business but… did… did you get hurt… badly, t-that day… at your old school…"

Oh. I knew the subject wouldn't be avoided for long. I'm surprised the person who decided to speak first was Jun.

"We may not look it at first. We try to act like ourselves, for your sake. Even though we can now see you're alive and breathing, we're still anxious. It was worse when we heard the news from your mom. Stepdad really wanted to move back to the US, and even Scott was acting different. Don't get us wrong. You did a brave thing and we're proud of you… but- _GUAH!_ "

I trapped in under my arm and noogied his head. He yelled in protest on my lap while Miki moved to sit on my pillow, watching intently.

"Harriet! Harriet stop! I'm serious about this! This isn't the time for-"

"I know."

Jun paused and I stopped my noogies, allowing him to look up into my eyes and at my grinning face.

"I'm sure she told you already; just a few bruises and scrapes here and there. No biggie. The doctors have treated me well too. The only huge bummer was the whole lockdown process and having to appear in court as a witness." I patted his fluffy bunny head. "Trust me Jun, it could've been a lot worse if I hadn't stepped up."

Jun stared at me for a while before giving me a smile and a nod.

"I see. It's just a lot better to hear it from you." He grinned, showing his teeth. "You know, for a witch, you're pretty heroic."

"Oh? And what is that supposed to mean, _U-sa-gi-chan?_ " I smiled ominously while tracing a single black painted nail lightly across his throat.

He gulped, rolled off my lap, off my bed, and leaped towards the door.

"Ahaha. Would you look at the time! We're touring early tomorrow so you should get some sleep. Goodnight Hari-chan!" Those were his final words before making his great escape.

I shook my head and decided to turn in under the covers. Miki curled at my feet and sleep came easily for her. For me, it took a bit longer. Despite my tired body, my mind refused to rest. I couldn't help but think back to what Jun said earlier. Jun, Adrian, Kunio, even Scott; they were all trying to hide their worries from me. I guess coming here was a big relief for them too. They no longer have to rely on my mother's words.

I wonder how she's doing? She's all alone now, all by herself. I hope the neighbors are looking after her. And Tia, my one and only best friend, I should call her soon. She'll probably ask lots of questions about what Japan is like. I'll send her some pictures too.

Slowly, unconsciously, as I finally feel myself drifting into slumber, my hand reached for my left shoulder. It stayed resting above the fabric of my tee. Funny. It has healed long ago, but I can still remember the wretched pain I felt that day, the bullet tearing through skin, flesh, and bone, dull at first but intensifies soon after. I really was lucky that day. There were so many what ifs that could've happened in that particular moment.

I had a feeling mom and dad didn't tell them. I'm glad they didn't. I don't want to be treated differently.

 **AN: And chapter one done! Sorry if there are any grammatical errors. This isn't beta'ed.**

 **Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Haikyuu characters will appear in the next chapter so stay tuned!**


	2. Encounters on Tour

**AN: Happy New Years everyone! Here's another chapter ready! Thanks for the positive responses. This is the first I've ever created an outrageous character like Harriet. My characters usually fall into the category of either sweet and innocent or impassive and cold so it feels great to do something different for a change.**

 **Hope you enjoy this one!**

 **IMPORTANT EDIT: For a while, I've been wanting to change a section of this chapter talking about Tia's sexuality. Every time I reread it I cringe going all "What the fuck? What was I thinking? This doesn't feel real to me at all!" I want Tia's sexually to be complex and hard to define because that is something I go through a lot. It's hard to label myself as something (asexual, hetero, pansexual, etc.) when there are aspects of them that aren't true to me and I just feel lost and confused. I'm sure I'm not the only one that struggles through this, but in the upside I don't let it control my life. It's not my main concern nor is it my goal. No my main goal is to be the best artist and graphic novelist I can be. Love can come later :D**

Chapter 2: Encounters on Tour

"So how is it in Japan?"

"Meh. Can't complain."

"What? That's all you can say to me? Mean!"

"Well to be fair I just got here and haven't toured the town yet. I will be doing that today though."

On an early Sunday, I decided to begin unpacking. Miki was still quietly snoring, undisturbed. After an hour of taking care of that mess, I showered and dressed up for the day. A simple back blouse that flares in the sleeves, shorts, black tights, a beanie hat, and rather complicated looking boots. By that, I mean people find it to look like a puzzle which requires multiple keys to unlock. Multiple bracelets hang around my wrists, some fingerless gloves, and lastly, a black choker strapped around my neck.

I was currently talking to my friend Tia through skype on my new computer while putting on makeup. It's apparently Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, 17 hours behind the time here. It's good that she's free, though I need to be more aware of the time zones from now on.

Tia and I were friends for as long as I could remember, probably since forever. Nah, just kidding. It was during the time in elementary school where I would always be picked on for 'being weird' as the kids would call it. Because of it, I used to hate the fact that my interests were 'not normal' compared to others, resulting to a scrawny, weak little thing who always shies away in the corner every chance she gets.

Then suddenly, by a halo of light shining from the heavens, the gods blessed me with Tia Cunningway, all the way from New York. For some reason, the moment she saw me, she insistently wanted to be my friend. I found it odd. She was nothing like me. She was tiny with frizzy short dark chocolate hair that bounces whenever she moves, big round glasses, and a turtleneck that looked way too big for her chubby brown face. Her soft brown eyes and gentle smile were always so warm and sunny like the fall season. She was innocent and cute and should belong with the others kids. But she never paid attention to them and always stood up for me whenever they started teasing.

" _Stop getting in our way!"_

" _Yeah, you should be joining us Tia!"_

" _I don't get it! Why do you keep hanging out with that stupid weird girl?"_

" _Huh? Why?"_

 _I watched Tia tilt her head sideways as she stands between me and the small group of fifth graders who make it a daily ritual to bully me. This time was pouring glue into my hair and face and pasting it with various things. My tear stained face looked up at her from my fetal positon in the corner. She stood tall like a titan even though in reality, she's inches shorter than me and those kids._

 _I wanted to know why too._

" _Well, because she's super cool! Way cooler than any of you meanies combined!"_

 _She said that with a big happy smile on her face._

I didn't understand it at first, but basically she reminded me that it's okay that to be weird and strange. I shouldn't be ashamed because I don't owe anyone crap. In short, I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for her. Now, the roles are reversed. It is I who usually has her back when she needs it.

Especially when stupid guys are involved.

Because puberty treated her kindly over the years. She has a curvy body and a decent sized chest, but never shows it off (she's still inches shorter than me though). If I had to describe the kind of girl Tia is, she's like a mature adult in a teen body. She's kind, gentle, always knows what to say, her smile always makes her features glow like a warm sunny day. She just draws you in.

That doesn't mean she's never childish.

"You're so lucky Harriet," I heard her whine as I was nearly done applying eyeliner.

"You call it luck. I call it a curse."

She rolls her eyes at me. "That's right, because you wanna live in Paris."

"No judgin' sista."

"I'm not judging. But honestly, do you really believe you'll find 'the one' there?"

"Well I certainly couldn't fine 'the one' in Los Angeles, and other cities and states I traveled to for that matter. I doubt I'll find 'the one' here. Don't see the appeal to Japanese men, no offense. What can I say, I love romantic places, I love French dudes. What do you expect?"

I'm a romantic. I'll just put that out there. I've always dreamed of living in Paris, where there I would find an interesting guy (not stupid and sex-crazed like a majority of boys I was unfortunate to meet), and together we'd live out our lives doing all sorts of sappy stuff, sort of like in the movies.

Ha. If people hear that after taking one look at me, I tell you, they'll think they've somehow landed in Topsy Turvy Town. Scott was proof of that when he first found out long ago.

"By the way Tia, isn't your pen pal from Japan?" I asked while painting my lips black.

Tia pushed her red rimmed glasses up her nose. "Yeah, but he's not in the Myagi Prefecture. Why do you wanna know?"

"No reason." I smiled.

"Harrie…"

"What? I just thought I'd help you by being your winglady."

I should point out that she was currently drinking her favorite honey citrus tea while we were talking. So once I said that, what was already in her mouth sprayed all over her desk. She coughed and grabbed some nearby tissues, giving me a stern look while I tried to hold back my laughter.

"I'm so glad you're nowhere near where he lives. And what gave you the idea that I needed a winglady?"

"Isn't it funny that what once was a middle school project suddenly turns into a daily routine to this day?"

"By chance we happen to have a lot in common and became friends. And it's not daily! We're both very busy so we don't get to talk as much as we would like. Then there are the time zones that's aslo a problem. And school. And practice."

"What does he do again?"

"He plays volleyball."

"Huh. Doesn't sound very attractive."

"It's not supposed to be."

"What was his name again? Where does he live?"

"You know at this point in time, it's best if I don't tell you."

"You're no fun."

Tia sighs heavily at me. "For the last time Harriet we're just friends. Yes, we've managed to hold a relationship since middle school despite the long distance, but it's hard. I still don't feel like I know enough about him to even take _that_ route. It would be nice to finally like someone, but even that's still hard for me…"

I sigh with her, my face sullen for unintentionally dampening the mood.

"I know."

So here's the problem Tia and I have pertaining to our love lives.

We have none. It's nonexistent.

For me, I've never dated because I already have a goal set in mind, and also because the boys around me are a waste of time and effort. For Tia, it's different. She's never dated, not because nobody asks her out. Oh no. You wouldn't believe how many faces I punched whenever I see a guy looking like they're undressing her with their eyes. A fucking lot.

Tia is asexual, at least that's what we've come to believe. Because sure, she has preferences. There are many men and women she finds attractive and good looking. But beyond that, nothing. It's hard to explain.

We took an online quiz on this once, just to get an idea on what category she falls under. She wasn't so sure about it so I went first. Results say I'm pansexual, which is interesting because though I'm mostly attracted to men, I wouldn't mind dating anyone else that aren't. I got Tia to try it next and it took her over thirty minutes to answer ten questions.

She got aromantic.

To say she was distraught would be an understatement.

It did kinda made sense though. Since I've known her, she's never had a crush on anyone and has turned down every person who asked her out. At the same time, Tia has always showed interest in romantic stuff. However, she's had a hard time seeing herself in any sort of romantic relationship. Probably, a little fearful of experiencing it.

Nearly panicking, I calmed her down, reminding her that it's just a test. It doesn't define her and it shouldn't be taken seriously. So we concluded that she's asexual; not really having any sexual attraction but passionate about romantic aspects of a relationship.

See why labeling can be confusing? Human behaviors are so complex it's just not that simple.

"Hey, chin up pouty face." I assured Tia with my best confident grin possible. "Like me, you just haven't found the right person yet. I know you will soon! And when you do, you'll be so flustered you wouldn't know what to do with yourself!"

"H-Harriet!" She blushed furiously, but I just kept on smiling. Tia soon gave in and smiled with me.

"Thank you." Her eyes then widened. "Oh crap I'm gonna be late for dance practice! Mrs. Liam's gonna kill me!"

"Tell her I said hi. Hope she doesn't miss me too much."

"Are you kidding? She's relieved to no longer have such a troublesome student."

"Not my fault I'm too much to handle."

We both laughed and said our goodbyes before disconnecting. Just in time for Jun to barge in with a goofy smile on his face.

"Oh good, you're up. Come on and eat! We only got one day to show you around Torono before school starts!"

Well he's certainly eager. I arched a brow at him before giving a sly smile. He tensed.

"W-What now?"

"Well I'm surprised at you Usagi-chan, barging into a girl's room unannounced. What if I was changing? Think about how awkward and _dangerous_ that would've been."

I never thought it'd be possible to blush darkly while looking pale as a ghost at the same time, but Jun proved my wrong.

"S-Sumimasen!" He yelled while bowing a perfect 45 degree angle. "I-I'll be downstairs s-so let me know when you're ready!" He bolted down the halls.

I turned to Miki who was now awake, still lying on my bed. Her head tilted to the side at the spot where Jun once stood, then stared at me.

"You know, I might give him a heart attack one day."

She barked, agreeing with me.

* * *

It was still early by the time Jun and I left. We ate light because there were food places Jun wanted me to try. Miki trailed ahead in her leash as we strolled down the sidewalk.

Sunday was a slow day so it's no complete surprise that the streets were a bit deserted. But the quiet atmosphere along with the morning sun slowly rising and coloring the sky was nice. We first hiked up to the higher parts of town where there were many gardens and traditional houses. I'm used to the cardio, since dance classes require that. There was also a place where an old couple made pottery. There were a lot lying around, both inside and outside the shop, and not one looked the same as the other. They told us the best times to make pots were at the sunrise and the sunset because that's when it's most relaxing. From the view they had up here, it makes sense. The old lady gave me a little tea set as a welcoming gift. I tried to refuse it or at least pay for it, but the lady insisted, saying that it suits me well.

The tea set was a combination of midnight blue and purple. On it was a foresty landscape with a full moon shining brightly at the top, and below was a mother wolf and her cubs prancing below a cherry blossom tree. It was so beautiful and obviously this was made with care and precision. I bowed and thanked her respectfully. We said our goodbyes to the old couple before we left.

That's pretty much how things went for about half of my trip through the town, the end resulting me receiving small gifts from owners of a shop. Apparently, what Jun failed to mention (and I made sure to smack his head once I found out) was that the people we visited were close friends to Kunio and his side of the family and some even have music lessons with him and Adrian. The Kenta music shop was well respected in Torono.

That's not the worst of it. They also knew about my upcoming arrival. How embarrassing is that?!

"Well to be fair, it's kind of mandatory to inform friends of any news that's happening in the family. Kunio just happens to have a lot. They go way back." Jun tells me this with a mischief behind his smile.

My glare was enough to make him cower and shut up for a bit.

Hours went by quickly and it was suddenly the afternoon. We snacked at multiple shops, my favorite food so far being the ichigo daifuku, until finally, _finally_ , the moment of truth arrived.

The mall!

Yeeesssss!

I am shopper girl ready! Sort of. Okay so I should probably not buy a lot today because of all these gifts dragging me back.

God damn it Junichi.

Once we entered the extravagant building, Miki began barking uncontrollably. Jun, the person holding the leash, tried to calm her down, but was helpless as she tugged him with her towards her target of interest, tail wagging merrily. I would've offered assistance, buuuuut I was extremely curious to see what got her excited all of a sudden. And payback's a bitch.

We were lead to a young boy with bright orange hair, walking casually without a care in the world. Unaware of a fluffy Samoyed coming at him like a raging torpedo.

"H-Hinata!" Jun called out quickly, trying his best to hold Miki back.

The small boy turned around only to be barreled down by the one year old pup. Jun and I could only watch as the boy was attacked, mercilessly, with licks to the face, unable to push the dog back. Miki's love was too strong. All he could do was laugh and take it.

What a brave soldier.

"I'm so sorry Hinata!" Jun was finally able to pull her away, enough for the boy to sit up and breathe.

"No no. It's fine!" the boy said as he wiped the slobber off his face and slowly stood up. He had the height of a junior high school student, standing shorter than both Jun and me respectively.

His orange hair was in disarray, or maybe it's always been like that, and looked soft and fluffy like Jun's. His big brown eyes made him look more like a child and his smile was so bright it was almost blinding.

Miki barked up at him once more, and this was the first I've seen her move with so much energy. Last night and throughout the day she was calm and mellow, but it's like somebody flipped the switch on her. The boy, Hinata, laughed and went down to pet her.

"Sorry Miki-chan. I didn't bring a volleyball with me today. I'm just here to buy new shoes."

"Again, I'm really sorry about this." Jun bowed to him.

"I said it's fine Kenta-kun."

The Hinata boy finally glanced at me for the first time. I greeted him with a grin.

"Hi."

Just one word, and one look, and the boy visibly shivered and took a step back purely by instinct. Man I am good at this!

Jun picked up what I was doing and quickly smiled to Hinata.

"Hinata, remember I told you my step cousin would be moving here and will attend Karasuno High with us? This is Harriet Thompson, from America. Don't worry, she won't bite."

"Hard." I added.

"Harri-chan…" he looked at me pointedly.

"Alright alright." I held out my hand to him and gave a regular smile. "As Jun already said, my name is Harriet Thompson, but just call me Harriet. Hari-chan is fine too. And you are?"

The boy was hesitant, but soon warmed up with that bright smile of his and eagerly took it.

"Welcome to Torono Hari-chan! My name's Hinata, Shouyo- _whaa!_ "

I yanked him towards me and enveloped him in a tight hug, making sure his face landed fully on my chest. I may not have as much as Tia, but I'm proud of my pair of hooters.

"Well aren't you just the _cutest_ little thing! So huggable too!" I said sweetly, pretending not to notice that I had his face planted on my boobs. I could feel the heat rising from his cheeks.

Jun was glaring at me now. Haha. He must be really close friends with this boy. I'll spare him. For now.

I released Hinata and he backed away a good three feet from me. He babbled incoherent words while his face burned as red as a tomato.

"Sorry Hinata-kun," Jun apologized again with a strained smile. "Hari-chan can be a bit much sometimes."

"How mean Usagi-chan. What did I do?" I whined innocently.

"Please stop calling me that!"

I laughed and backed away from the two.

"Welp, now that introductions are settled, there's something I wanna check out. So I'll leave you two alone. Bye!"

I dashed to the escalators before Jun could stop me.

* * *

Ah, so many clothes, so little time. I forgot how long I was away from Jun and his friend Hinata, but I've so far looked through seven clothes stores and came out with a few I found worth buying at the moment. I even found this cute black bow hairclip with blue roses and thorns at the center that I just had to get.

What sucks is that while I have all these neat clothes, I can't wear them. Specifically at school. Why? Because Japan has this mandatory policy to issue uniforms in in almost every school, including Karasuno, that's why! A lot of schools in the US have that as well but at least mine didn't thank god! I hate school uniforms; it's one of many reasons why I don't want to live here.

As I continued my inner rant, I found myself stopping in front of a music store, the type that sells CDs. After staring at it for a minute I thought, eh why not, and stepped inside.

I know nothing about Japanese music or any popular artists here. The best I know are from anime and yet I don't watch a lot of it. Oh and Vocaloid (isn't that still anime though…). But I guess I should broaden my horizons a little, seeing as I'll be here for about three years.

The shop keeper welcomed me and I greeted him in return before glancing through the many rows and isles of CDs, records, and cassette tapes. Reading the titles didn't help much, but thankfully there was a music sampler so I tried that out. I scrolled through the playlist with headphones on and I found some that I liked and one I couldn't help but recognize.

The song was mostly electric sound but it had English lyrics, which sounded like a robotic female slowly fading away in corrupted data until she was erased forever. It was sad yet oddly heartwarming, the lyrics she sung. I looked up the artist name and sure enough, my suspicions were correct.

Porter Robinson. I never thought his music would be sold here.

I left the music sampler system and stepped into the smaller English isle in hopes to find one of Porter's albums. To my greatest of luck, I saw one. Titled, "Worlds". It seemed to be the only one available, just sitting snugly in its spot waiting to be taken. It's calling to me.

I reach out, my fingers held firmly onto the case. I had it.

But…

Someone else's hand held onto it from the other end. The same moment I did. …What? I didn't even notice anyone come by. I looked up at the person whose hand it belonged to, and the first thing that came to mind was,

Tall. He was pretty tall.

A blonde headed boy, I don't know how old he his, looked down at me and appeared to look just as surprised as I am. I don't even know how long we stared at each other, but it felt like an eternity. I wanted to break the eye contact, but for some reason, I had a difficult time doing so. Those brown eyes, behind those glasses, locked me in. For the first time, I was trapped by a man's gaze.

"Oi. Are you going to let go?"

I almost didn't hear him, but it was enough to pull me out of this strange spell.

"Wuh?"

His brows furrowed slightly in annoyance and nodded towards the CD we were both holding.

"Are you deaf? I said are you going to let go of it or not?" He said in an even tone.

Wow. Rude much? I raised my eyebrow at him.

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I want to buy it."

"And you think I'm just grabbing this CD because I don't?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't you be into music that's more… depressing, Goth Girl?"

This guy…

I sneered. "I believe you're referring to emo kids buddy. Goths do not listen to 'depressing' music."

"Well I wouldn't know because I'm not one."

"Neither am I and even I know that simple fact. Instead of focusing on stereotypes do some actual research, **Nerd**. See what I did there?"

His eyebrow twitched and for a second I felt darkness loom around him. It was almost scary, almost as if he was going to try something. But it faded as soon as it came. Instead, he sighed heavily, as if finding this conversation to be a waste of his time.

"Look, I only came here for this CD. Now will you let go?"

"After that bullshit you just gave me? Hmm let me think… **No.** I had it first and I'm buying it!"

"First off, we _both_ had it. Second, don't you think you've bought enough stuff?"

"What do you mean?"

"All that stuff your holding." He pointed with his free hand to the bags of clothes that I bought, _and_ all of the gifts I've received! "I've heard of shopping fever before but that is just extreme."

He grinned. Something about that grin was just unsettling.

"But I guess for you, this must be normal. I can only imagine how much of your parents' money you're wasting. Spoiled rich kids are like that."

I couldn't take it anymore. This guy… He's even worse than Scott! I was about to give him an earful; really hammer the false accusations back into his smug face! He deserves every bit of what's coming to him right no-

 _Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt._

My phone.

 _Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt._

It must be Jun. What horrible timing, but it only made sense. He must be worried by now. My one hand is full of clothes and gifts, while the other is still holding onto that CD. It's obvious which one I should let go of, but I couldn't do that. Not now.

The matter of owning this album doesn't apply anymore. If I let go now, it would mean I've lost to this asshole.

 _Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt._

"That sounds important. Shouldn't you get that?"

I hate this. I hate this so much. Because he knows.

He knows he won.

I looked at him silently, dead in the eye, and gave him the most venomous, hateful stare I could ever conjure up in my being. I hear his breath catch midway in his throat; see his eyes widen and his tall frame shiver slightly. It was satisfactory but only a little. I let go of the CD and sharply turned away. I stormed out the music shop without gracing the boy a single word.

My eyes said enough.

I fished out my buzzing phone and answered.

"What."

"Um… Hari-chan… are you okay? You sound, well, angry."

"I'm fine." I tried to sound believable while squashing down my anger.

"Did something happen?"

"I'll get over it. Where are you?"

"Uh, I'm at a bakery shop right now. You like strawberries right? The shortcakes here are quite popular. It'll help you feel better."

"Is Hinata with you?"

"No. He left to practice volleyball."

A relieved sigh escaped my lips. "Good. It'd be bad if he saw me like this."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later Jun. Just not right now."

"Alright."

"Now tell me where this bakery is. I'm getting hungry now that you mentioned strawberries."

I let Jun's words fill my head as he instructed me where to go. I needed a distraction, especially after what happened just minutes ago. What's even more frustrating is that no matter how much I try to block it out, his face and his eyes, eyes as full as the moon, were still fresh in my mind. Along with it, his stinging words.

Words usually don't get to me, but somehow that did. I should've played it off cooly like I usually do. So why? What did he do to make my behavior change like that?

Oh well, it doesn't matter. Hopefully, that'll be the last time I ever see his face, for his sake and mine.

 **AN: Well isn't that something? What do you think? Again this isn't beta'ed so expect mistakes. I had fun writing this.**

 **Also, whoever can guess the song described from Porter Robinson will get a virtual prize! Anyway, more to come soon!**


	3. When You Realize that Life Sucks

**AN: Hi again! Sorry this chapter's a bit shorter than the last two, but it made sense for me to stop here. Hope you still like it tho!**

 **And also STORY COVER HECK YESH! (I made it. It appeared better in my head...)**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: When You Realize that Life Sucks

"Um… Hari-chan?"

"…"

"H-Hari-chan?"

"…Huh? You say somethin?"

Jun's stare was full of concern since morning the moment he saw me leave my room. We now walked side by side through the streets after we rode the bus, towards my new hell.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like the undead about to die again."

"Is it the uniform?"

"No. Just you."

"Drat."

He sighed. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. You look fine. Heck, you even changed the style and it suits your personality."

My dull lifeless eyes glance down slowly at the bastard clothes I am forced to wear. It's true I tricked it up to a style I'm mostly comfortable with. I ditched the stupid bowtie, decided to wear one of my favorite graphic tees that showed midway under my buttoned uniform shirt, punk-ripped tights under the uniform skirt, simple shoes (because I'll soon change out of them to wear the school issued ones, _ugh!_ ), bracelets, and the blue rose hairclip I bought yesterday.

Still, despite all these changes, I feel like a clone.

"Okay. Let's look at the bright side." I heard my cousin say.

I gave Jun a hard look that simply said, 'What could possibly be bright about all this?'

"You've heard of the sailor uniforms right? Would you rather wear that?"

My horrid expression was eminent. "Oh. God. **No**."

Nothing is worse than looking like something straight out of a shojo manga. That is not for me!

So he has a point. I'll give him that.

"…I still hate this uniform."

"Well life's a bitch. You're just gonna have to deal with it."

I guess I can't argue with that either. Fine. I'll deal with it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

That aside, am I looking forward to school today? Honestly, no (and I probably never will). But I did prepare myself to make a good first impression to my future classmates. It's only right that I do, moving in not only from a different school, but a different country. I gotta set my place out there; earn a nice reputation.

Thankfully, all this mental preparation from last night made me forget about yesterday's encounter at the mall's music store. I'm still mad, but hey, I find it as a reminder of how there exists **those** types of people in the world no matter where you go.

Besides, it's not like I'll ever see him again. He seemed like a university student at best.

Not that bad looking either…

…

…

Okay. Yup. I sincerely HOPE I never see him again for as long as I live!

"You brought your schedule right? First things first is to show you where your homeroom is. You've already been warned about how different the school system is here compared to the US. All classes are taken in your homeroom, so there's not much moving around, with the exception of PE and lab activities. I'll guide you through the rest of the campus at lunch. Oh yeah, and there are club activities you can participate in, especially one that's- Hari-chan? …Oi! Are you even listening?!"

"Ack! Why are you yelling at me? Of course I was listening!"

"Oh yeah? Then what did I just say?"

"Um, something about classes and stuff."

"Stupid! You were spacing out!"

"Hey! I am not stupid and I wasn't spacing out!"

"Yes you were!"

"No I wasn't!"

"You were!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

We were so into our pointless argument we didn't detect someone coming our way until I was hit pretty hard on my left side.

"Ow! Hey watch i-huh?"

On the ground was a blond headed girl. She was pretty cute, and small, with a tiny pigtail on one side, and judging by her uniform she goes to the same school as me. For some reason Tia comes to mind when I look at her.

"Oh, Yachi-san! Are you alright? You should be more careful!"

Oh. So Jun knows her too.

"I-I-I-I'm fine! R-Really! I'm so sorry! I-"

She looked up. Her eyes met mine. She instantly paled.

My mood must be really sour today because one moment she's on the ground, the next she's off like a rocket, screaming about how she's gonna die.

"W-Wait! Yachi-san!" Jun tried calling her back. But it's no use. She's long gone.

Jun sighed, then stared at me. I tensed.

"W-What?"

He shook his head, face blank. "Nothing."

He walked ahead. I got pissed and ran after him.

"What do you mean nothing?! Then what's with that look?"

"We're going to be late."

"Hey! Don't just ignore me like that! Remember who you're talking to!"

* * *

Tsukishima Kei knew omens well. Even the smallest signs could mean something if you look close enough. Whether they turn out to be true or not can only be based on interpretation and/or superstition.

The tall blond had not been feeling well since Sunday. He knew he wasn't sick. This morning as he walked down the street to get to school, he had the urge to look behind him every now and then. He instinctively had his guard up to 150% thinking that the moment he breaks it, someone might come at him from a dark corner with a knife or something.

This was stupid. He knew why he was feeling this way. It's even stupider that he's even feeling this way because of **that**.

So what if that foreign girl gave him a look that promised murder. She's just a girl. What can she do?

Tsukishima glared intensely at his book, eyes fixed on that one word he's been staring at for close to five minutes. The music blaring in his headphones drowned out the noisy chatter of his classmates.

She's most likely just a tourist, meaning she won't be here long. She'll soon go back to where she came from. He'll probably never see her again.

So why won't he stop thinking about it?!

"Sorry I'm late Tsukki!"

It took nearly all of his willpower not to jump from his seat. He managed to stay completely composed, like always.

"Oh, you were gone? I didn't notice," he responds casually, still focusing on his book but removed his headphones.

"Wah? How can you say that Tsukkiiiii!" Yamaguchi whined, taking his seat at the desk next to the blond.

Tsukishima stole a sideways glance at his childhood friend. He noticed that in Yamaguchi's hand was a transparent bag tied in a cute bow. In it was filled with cookies.

Macarons this time.

"Yachi is getting pretty skilled at baking. I was really surprised she made this. She must've practiced a lot and worked really hard over the weekend. I hope she's not pushing herself too much…"

"She's doing it for you so it's fine."

Heat rose from the freckled boy's cheeks. "I-I know that. It's just… I rarely get nice things like this, especially from girls s-so I guess I'm not used to it."

Tsukishima slammed his book shut, spooking Yamaguchi, and the freckled boy cowered in fear at his scrutinizing stare.

"You're telling me that after three weeks of dating and three weeks of receiving confections from her, you're still not used to it? What have you been doing all this time Yamaguchi?"

Seriously, this guy needs to grow a backbone! Yachi wouldn't be doing this if her feelings weren't true. And because of this, the entire volleyball team now looks at him with **envy**!

"S-S-Sorry Tsukki! I didn't mean it like that! You're right, I should be getting used to it!" Yamaguchi breathed a sigh of relief once the scrutiny was gone. He blushed red again, but smiled brightly this time. "I'm really happy being with her."

Tsukishima said nothing, but gave a small nod.

"By the way, Yachi said something really interesting today. She said that as she was on her way here, she ran into a girl. Apparently, she was really scary, wearing mostly black under her uniform and had on black lipstick too. She never saw her before, but she was walking with one of her classmates. I was wondering why she ran to me as if something was chasing her, and then she told me that the look in the girl's eyes was that of a murderer. And then I told her she was being silly and that it must've been a misundertan- …uh Tsukki? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look pale all of a sudden."

"You must be color blind."

Yamaguchi wasn't convinced and his eyes definitely weren't tricking him. Before he could press the speckled blond further, the final bell had already rung. Students went to their seats quickly before the teacher arrived. The room was cut silent once their teacher, Masato, entered.

"Greetings students, I hope your weekend was time well spent. I say this because we have a pop quiz today. I want to see how much information you've gathered so far this course."

An audible groan was heard throughout the room. Masato ignored it.

"Now before I take attendance, I have a special announcement to make. A new student will be joining us starting today. She has traveled all the way from the United States. So please, make her feel as warm and welcome as possible."

"Yes Masato-sensei!" the students chanted with equal amounts of enthusiasm from the news.

"Wow, you hear that Tsukki? She's from America! How cool is that?" Yamaguchi whispered, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"It's not that big of a deal," Tsukishima answered lazily, wanting to get this over with.

"Alright, settle down." Masato brought the students to silence once more. He cleared his throat. "Her name is Harriet Thompson, so give her your upmost respect." He faced the door. "Thompson-san, please come in and introduce yourself to the class."

The door swung open slowly and in came the school's new student. The silence suddenly became thicker. No one dared to speak as the girl walked in slow precise footsteps, then stopped and faced the rows of students.

Though she was wearing the standardized school uniform, she wore mostly black underneath. Black painted her lips and shadowed the lids of her eyes. The only things that popped with color were her violet hair and her bow clip that had blue roses decorated at the center.

Tsukishima couldn't breathe. Never would he have thought possible that the girl he had encountered yesterday would be attending his school, much less be his classmate. Her coal black eyes scanned the classroom until they landed on him. He could've sworn his soul was taken with that stare. It was the same as last time, only stronger. She was good at masking her emotions, because he could tell she did not expect him to be here either.

Breaking the eye contact, the blond stared at the wall beside him, making it seem like he was bored and spacing out. He could feel the eyes bore holes into his head, before it vanished. His muscles relaxed, just now noticing how tense they were.

"Hello everyone. My name is Harriet Thompson and I'm from the US. I was born in the state of California, in the city of Los Angeles," she began with an even tone. She rubbed the back of her head. "Let's see, about myself… well there's not much to say. I have a few hobbies. I dance a lot. I sing sometimes. I also play the guitar. I don't know if I'll use any of these skills in the future, I'm not so sure of what I want to do with my life yet. But there is one thing I pride myself in… **and that is scaring the crap out of people.** "

The entire class felt the atmosphere change. The girl's smile and leering eyes could be described as cold, bitter, sinister, and filled with poison. Even the teacher was speechless to do anything that could cross her.

"That being said, here are some things you should know if we're going to get along," her tone changed too. It demanded attention. "I am not here to make friends, so don't expect me to become buddies with you. Don't even try to attempt to score with me. I won't acknowledge you. If I even catch you looking at me in such a way… hehehe," She laughed. It was slightly demonic. "Let's just say you won't be able to sit down for a week."

The way she said that sounded too sweet which made it all the more unsettling. Especially for the boys.

"But not to worry. You have nothing to fear. I can see myself getting along with all of you just fine!" She paused. "Wait, scratch that, _almost_ all of you. Don't think about it too much. You know who you are… Welp, I believe that's about it! Yo Sensei! Could you direct me to my seat please?"

"Whuh! Oh, r-right!" Masato cleared his throat. "Right by the window over there…"

"Thank you!~"

"H-How scary," muttered Yamaguchi as he watches Harriet take the empty seat by the window. "I wonder, could she be the person Yachi was talking about? She really does have the look of a serial killer… What do you think Tsu… TS-TSUKKI?!"

Not only did Tstukishima look paler than before, but all the moisture drained from his skin, making him look like a mummified corpes.

"You're being too noisy Yamaguchi."

"B-B-But you look horrible! Do you need a nurse?"

"Shut up already."

Meanwhile at the other side of the classroom, a certain new student was suffering through her own inner turmoil.

" _What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK?! Shit! Why is he here? Why is this happening? WHY!? OMFG I want to punch something so fucking bad! I'd punch that geek boy in the face! I feel like crying now! FUCK! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"_

And thus, the story begins.

 **AN: I know, crappy ending. I'll try harder I promise. As always, not beta'ed.**

 **This chapter took some time because I had to research a bit on how the high school systems work in Japan. It's still a bit hard to wrap my head around and I hope I didn't get it wrong here. Despite that it was interesting.**

 **Also, please tell me I'm not the only one who's into the Yamaguchi x Yachi pair. I am? Okay goodbye.**


	4. Great Expectations

**AN: Longer chapter this time! Hope you like it! Oh, and thank you NotAfraidToFly, Apple of Eris, and sobasicallyme, for taking the time to review and liking this story as much as I love writing it! And thanks to those who faved and followed, you guys are awesome too!**

 **I'm honestly proud of this one so read away!**

Chapter 4: Great Expectactions

School hasn't even ended yet.

It's still the first fucking day, and already I want to go home. Back to America. With mom. And Tia.

It's bad enough I have to share the same classroom with Sargent Mc Asshole in glasses. That should've been fine! At least I can easily avoid him and pretend he never existed. Even better, my introductory speech made it perfectly clear that he should do the same. And he did, to my great relief. So the rest of the day should've flowed steady like the Nile River.

Except it didn't.

Only ten minutes till the end of lunch, and I didn't even bother touching the food Kunio made for me. I couldn't bring myself to eat; I'd end up sick if I try. I decided to hide outside, under the tree's shadow. In the distance behind me, I hear other students conversing with themselves as they eat their lunches. Thankfully they were nowhere near my hiding spot, making me unnoticeable.

I glanced down at the flyer I held firmly, its edges crumpled by the harsh grip in my fingers. For some reason, as I ran to hide here, I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, no matter how much I really wanted to. The bold letters of the flyer glare up at me mockingly to a point where I desperately wanted to crumple it up, burn it to ashes, and send its remains to the fiery pits of hell. Instead, all I do is damage the edges further, me staring at it like an idiot thinking something will magically change.

Stupid Junichi. Honestly what the fuck was he thinking?

In reality, it's not even his fault.

* * *

20 minutes prior…

Before I attended class, Jun asked me to wait inside my classroom when lunch starts so he could pick me up and we'd the tour around school. The first half of lectures were done and most people filed out to eat their lunches elsewhere. No one stopped to greet me, but I could hear them talk amongst themselves about me in hushed whispers. It's almost like my old school, which is perfect.

I was left to my own devices, which was staring aimlessly out the window watching students stroll around campus, my mouth on an applesauce pouch. Class wasn't bad so far, history will be a bit of a problem though, and my Japanese literature skills aren't as potent compared to me speaking it. I just know studying to catch up will take some years from my life, but if I want to own up to my promise I made with my dad and go to Paris, what choice do I have?

"That new girl huh?"

"Did you see the way she smiled at us? It was terrifying!"

"I know! I feel queasy going near her..."

"Are you kidding? I have to sit next to her!"

"Who does she think she is anyway? That because she's from America she can talk down to us like we're peasants?"

Haha. Wow.

"Shhh! Shut up, she might hear you!"

Waaay too late buddy. I mean seriously I think the whole class can hear you.

"Pssh! So what? She's all talk! What can she do?"

I yawned. Ah well, I got nothing to brag about. Just a few years of martial arts training sessions from one of my dad's bandmates. You know, thinking back to the incident which brought me here, I probably wouldn't have survived that calamity if it weren't for him.

"Hari-chan!"

My ears perked at the familiar voice. I sighed and stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"About time Usagi-chan! How long were you going to make me wait?"

Junichi laughed sheepishly at the door. The remaining students were silent as I made my way over to him. Probably wondering what sort of relationship we have and/or amazed that I knew anyone in this school. Dunno. Don't care.

"I just had to do some things."

"I read high levels of suspicion."

"There's just something I want to show at the end of the tour. Nothing bad at all."

"That's what they all say. Plus your smile's not making it better."

"Just trust me Hari-chan," he whined.

I rolled my eyes, but gave a nod and followed him down the halls.

So Jun lead me around campus, showing me where things are. Karasuno High was quite larger than it appeared at first glance, mostly because of the wide expanse of courts and fields for sports activities.

"So clubs is a thing here huh? Like a major thing?"

"It's a requirement for students to participate in clubs to boost social interactions. So yeah it kind of is a major thing, but it's mostly because what would be extracurricular classes in the US, such as art and music, are instead after school clubs."

I hummed. "So I have to choose a club. Fantastic."

Jun looked at me. "Wanna see my club?"

There was something about that gleaming shimmer in his eyes that made me cautious. Suspicion levels have risen again, but I just shrugged. As he happily lead the way to his club, I concluded that it must be what he wanted to show me. But it's just a club. What's so special about it?

I noticed we were in a district for third years and Jun made his way to one particular classroom to his right. I could hear faint music playing inside. Jun opened the door and stepped in.

"Hey guys! I-"

An eraser landed on his head with a thud. Clouds of powdery chalk residue poof all around him and made a mess of his clothes and hair. My cousin froze silently. Someone burst into laughter.

"See? I told you he'd walk right into it! Someone owes me ice cream.~"

Another person groaned. "I can't believe he fell for that. He **never** falls for that."

"I told you, when Kenta-chan gets hyped, he loses himself completely!"

There were three people in the room. Two of them were conversing while the third sat silently, watching the spectacle.

The mastermind behind the prank was a guy with maroon colored hair and flashy brown eyes. His uniform was neat with almost no wrinkles, but has on a weird yellow tie with multi-colored polka dots. He was stuffing his face with his bento lunch while laughing his ass off at Jun's bemused expression.

Standing in the middle was a girl. Her sandy blond hair was wavy and so long it reached beyond her lower back. An intricate headband crowned her head and her emerald green eyes looked at the world questioningly. Despite wearing the same uniform as every other girl, her small frame made her look like a doll. Also it tuned out the music I heard earlier came from her. In her hands she held a keytar and was testing some notes in a music sheet on a desk in front of her.

The final person lounged back on a teacher's desk table, one leg propped over the other. He was huge and bulky and looked like someone who can enter a boxing ring and win the championship. Black dreadlocks peaked out from underneath his bandana and he had a relaxed demeanor despite his aggressive appearance. A pen was tucked behind his ear while another rests in his fingers. Around him were piles of music sheets. I noticed he's been staring at me intently and I tried not to let it bother me, focusing my attention on something else.

"Hiroki…"

The maroon head jumped at Jun's voice.

"What did I say about pulling any funny business…"

Hiroki began to sweat. "Aw come on Kenta-chan. It was just a harmless prank."

"Hiroki-san, you may be my senpai, but there is only so much I can tolerate from you…"

The boy shrieked and hid behind the girl holding her keytar. It's pointless since his larger frame was still visible.

"H-H-Hold up Kenta-chan! Pranks are supposed to be funny! You're supposed to be laughing! Masami-chan, back me up here!"

"If you die I won't have to buy you ice cream though," Masami said with wonder.

"H-How can you say that to your senpai?!" Hiroki was in tears and turned to the bulky guy on the teacher's desk. "Takeo-kun say something!"

The guy blinked once, scrunched up his nose, and said, "I'm not entitled to clean your messes you immature ape."

The maroon boy made a choked sound as if he was struck by arrows through his chest and was found on his hands and knees in a corner, moaning dramatically about how he gets no respect.

"Wow. Some club Jun. I can see why you're so prideful of it," I teased lazily.

Jun huffed and whipped the chalk powder off his uniform and hair. "Don't mind Hiroki-san. If he wasn't so talented, we wouldn't need him."

Another arrow through the chest and Hiroki collapsed on the ground.

"I have such terrible kouhai…" he sobbed.

"You have no one but yourself to blame," Takeo muttered. He turned to me. "We're usually more professional than this. Welcome. Junichi told us a lot about you."

I groaned inwardly. "Oh really- _ahh!?_ "

The sandy blond girl suddenly popped in front of me, her emerald eyes sparkly as she took in my appearance.

"Wooaaa, you look so cool. How did you get away with dressing like that? Dress codes are usually strict here."

I took a step back. She's small but my god she's overwhelming!

"Um… by not caring?"

She gasped and had her hands to her cheeks in awe. "How awesome! A rebel!"

"Uhhh…"

"Oi oi!" Somehow the maroon head was brought back from the dead and is also stepping in my personal bubble. "Is it true you're the daughter of Alix Thompson? The lead guitarist in the band, Raining in Space?"

My eyebrows shot up. They know about that too? I glared at Jun.

"T-They found out through Scott, I swear!" He stammered, raising his hands in defense. "You know how he likes to boast about how his dad is related to yours, so of course that would get out!"

"Dude I am such a huge fan of Raining in Space!" the boy continued. "I have all their albums! And Alix is such a guitar wizard! They say he has God's Hands, because his fingers move so fast you can barely see them!"

"Ben Blaze is my favorite," says Masami, cheeks flushed. "He has a nice singing voice. And he's close friends with Alix."

"Kenta-chan says you also play the guitar right? That's awesome! Then you must be as good as your father right?"

"That's enough!" Jun grabbed the two by the collar and pulled them back. "Takeo-san just said we're more professional! You call this professional? Introduce yourselves properly!"

"S-Sorry Kenta-chan."

"Sorry Kenta-kun…"

The maroon boy with the ridiculous tie went first. "Greetings! My name is Saru Hiroki, second year in Karasuno High! I'm basically, your senpai!"

"He's also known as Karasuno's troublemaking chimp," says Takeo.

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Hiroki pouted.

"Because almost no one can stand you."

"Not true! I bring laughter and joy to every student. I am the beckon that holds Karasuno's happiness!"

"You also piss off every teacher and got suspended for filling the vice principal's office with water balloons last year."

"You really did that?" I asked astounded.

Hiroki huffed triumphantly. "One of my greatest projects ever! Filled them all the way to the ceiling undetected. And they said it couldn't be done. Sure I got suspended and had to clean up the mess, but the look on that old man's face as he was pummeled by water balloons was worth it!"

"And since that day he instructed all the teachers to watch Hiroki-san closely, like a monkey on a leash," said Masami.

"Don't say it like that!"

"Hi. My name is Orabella Masami. I'm a first year."

"Why are you ignoring me?!"

She looked up at me with sparkles in her eyes again. "You're very pretty."

I jolted back in absolute shock and bewilderment.

Wh… what?

 _WHAT?!_

Me?

PRETTY?!

Well I'm not hideous, but when did anyone ever call me pretty?! Mom and dad call me beautiful sometimes and others just think I'm 'dangerously sexy' or a 'badass hottie'. Even Tia never calls me pretty, because pretty is something you use to describe sweet, proper girls. I am neither of those things!

I was trying to wrap my head around what that girl just said, when I almost flipped my shit not seeing the bulky guy in dreads stand near me and the others.

"And I am Kazuhiko Takeo, third year. Pleased to finally meet you," he said softly, knowing that he spooked me. He stood even taller than that guy in glasses, by an inch or two at most.

"Um… Harriet Thompson. Nice to see you all I guess," I say awkwardly. I have never felt so uncomfortable before. I don't know how to act around these people. "So… what kind of club is this? Are you a band or something?"

"Not exactly," says Jun, smiling while rubbing his neck. "We just explore and create music in many ways possible using a variety of instruments. It's like a science experiment; mixing different things together and see if they work."

He scavenged through the messy papers of music sheets until he picked up a flyer. He handed it to me. I took it and read the bold gigantic letters splayed at the center of the paper.

"The Unlimited Sound Club," I read lowly to myself.

"It's nothing fancy. This club just became official recently this year, so it's not popular."

"But it is a nice idea!" chimed Hiroki. "I was getting bored participating in orchestra every year since middle school. Feels great to do something fun, crazy, and challenging for once!"

Masami nodded in agreement. "You can do any type of sound you want without any restrictions or guidelines. You're free to come up with whatever you put your mind to out of anything you want to use."

"It's like combining ice cream and fries," Hiroki added. "It may not look or sound appealing, but you forget all about it once you taste it. That's what we are!"

"It's all Junichi's idea," Takeo finally spoke. "This club wouldn't exist if it weren't for him."

"Takeo-san you're giving me too much credit," Jun whined, embarrassed.

"It's the truth."

"He's right, that's why you're our president Kenta-chan~," Hiroki sang as he hugged my cousin from behind.

"I'm still mad at you senpai…" Jun muttered in the second year's arms. He shook the blush of his face and faced me determinedly. "You should join us Hari-chan!"

"Yeah, you'll fit in perfectly!" Hiroki followed. "Kenta-chan told us how amazing you are with the guitar. Plus, you're Alix Thompson's daughter! That must mean you have the fingers of a goddess- Ow!"

Takeo smacked his head.

"Whether if you do or don't we'd still like to have you with us. We need a guitar player."

I tried hard, really, _reaallly_ hard, to keep a straight face as all the eyes were on me. All of them were giving me expectant hopeful looks, even Jun. I clenched every muscle in my body to stop myself from shaking. I forced my breathing to remain calm as my heart rate pounded in my chest and my palms began to sweat. Once I felt everything was in check (at least to the best of my ability) I grinned.

"Nah, not interested but thanks anyway."

I refused to face them directly when they all visibly deflated.

"What?! Why not?!" Hiroki screeched, clearly disheartened and already developing tears. "You don't like our club?"

"I never said that."

He released Jun and stepped forward. "Then why won't you join?! You love music don't you?!"

I gave him and the others a piercing look with a sardonic smile. Hiroki stood rigid, his lips clenched tight. The rest remain silent.

"I used to. Now, not so much. Sorry to disappoint." I bowed. "I hope this club does well."

I straightened up and made my way out, not giving them a chance to reply. My pace down the hall was brisk. I don't know why I'm walking so fast, I just felt the need to get away. As far away from there as possible.

"Hari-chan!"

My feet managed to stop on their own even though I had the urge to run. They refused to obey me. Hurried footsteps came closer from behind. I remained where I was, refusing to look back. Silence stretched between us for a while.

"I don't understand," I heard him say. "I thought that once I showed you this club, I thought that… well, that you'd tease me about it first, but then come to really like it."

…

"Back in America, you've always said that you wanted to achieve greater than your dad, that you wanted to become something the whole world could remember. When I heard you play for the very first time, I really believed you could."

…

"Hiroki, Masami, Takeo, myself as well; we all have a similar dream. That's why I made this club. I know that if we combine our talents and our ambitions together, we can easily achieve that. I was really hoping that you'd be a part of it."

I breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. My eyes focused on nothing in particular and I suddenly felt weightless.

"Jun… all those things I said… that was three years ago. A lot has happened after that, while you were away. I learned a lot too. What I said to you then… that was just a foolish kid spouting bullshit, her head to high in the clouds she failed to realize it until it was too late. She came crashing down to earth so hard she couldn't pick herself back up."

Saying this hurt immensely, but I could only imagine how Jun must be feeling. I didn't dare look to see.

"I'm not telling you to stop," I continued. "I'm sure you and your friends will do great. Just don't expect anything from me." I chuckled. There was no humor in it. "I can't even remember the last time I laid my hands on that thing. Sorry Junichi… I think I disappointed you the most."

My feet finally decided to listen to me. I bolted, ignoring my cousin's desperate calls. My eyes stung as I paid zero attention to where I was going. All I recall was somehow finding my way outside, meanwhile roughly bumping into someone (this person felt like a brick wall). I sent my halfhearted apology without glance his way before continuing off.

* * *

And that is my oh so wonderful tale on how everything went to shit. I anticipated my first day of school to be an undelightful experience, but I underestimated the deities' up there controlling my life. Now I just need to figure out what I've done to deserve this mess.

Unlimited Sound. I reread the club name over and over in my head as I stared down at the flyer. I was surprised Junichi created this group. When I first met him years ago, he never seemed all that interested in music. Being surrounded by it constantly thanks to his family's business made him grow accustomed to it, and thus not finding it all that special.

So what changed then?

As I tried to wrack my brain on Jun's sudden passionate interest, an object swooped passed me, bounced on the grass and rolled to a complete stop near the bushes. I stared.

It was a volleyball.

"Ahhh, where did it roll off to… there you are!"

I was caught off guard by the familiar head of bright orange hair chasing after the ball. I watched silently as he stood in my field of vision, picking it up. Right, I forgot he also attends Karasuno. What was his name again?

"Hinata?"

I wasn't meant to say that out loud, but I didn't regret it. He never noticed me at all, so I was treated to the delight of seeing him jump out of his skin, the ball slipped from his fingers, making the most adorable noise I ever heard. The boy's head snapped to my direction and he immediately went from spooked to surprised.

"Hari-chan?"

"That's my name. Glad you remembered."

I winked. He blushed and quickly scrambled for his ball.

"Whatcha doing anyway? Tossing the ball around like a baby seal."

He had the volleyball between his hands while trying not to make eye contact with me. Aw, he's embarrassed!

"I'm trying to work on my receives. I suck at it, so I'm practicing to get better."

"Oh. So you're in the volleyball team or something?"

"Yup. I play middle blocker, but one day I'll become the Ace! Just like the Little Giant!"

"The… Little Giant?"

He nodded, grinning so wide I thought he'd split his face. "Yeah! He's short like me, but he became Karasuno's Ace. Because of him, the team even made it to Nationals. No matter how tall his opponents were, he was able to spike through them like _gyah!_ and _smack!_ " Then he tries to recreate what he saw by doing hand motions and sound effects. It was terrible. He goes on and on about how great this Little Giant was, how excited he was to get enrolled in Karasuno, how one day he too will go to nationals. As I stared and quietly listed, I found that something about his enthusiasm… felt familiar.

And then something clicked in my brain. My eyes flashed.

I see my nine year old self at home in the living room, up way past my curfew hours to see Raining in Space perform live on television. Five members armed with their weapon of choice. In my eyes they looked like ancient knights ready for battle; not with violence, but with sound. Together they break the silent barrier and fill the air with noise, their lyrics used to paint the white canvas to create the world they envisioned, allowing their listeners to see it.

Every time I watched them perform, I felt like I was there amongst the crowd. I wouldn't be screaming or hollering along with them, jumping and bouncing around like a dedicated fan. I would just stand there and listen, consuming as much of the song as I could until I felt lightheaded. It's like a spell you can't pull yourself out of, because you really don't want to. You want to remain like this forever, not wanting the harsh world of reality to pull you back.

I stare up at each of the band members as they play in perfect sync, but my eyes would always travel to my dad. Alix Thompson. The lead guitarist. The man with God's Fingers. Like everyone else, I admire him. Even more, I aspire to be just like him. To play notes in a melody that would catch people's ears. To have fingers as swift and quick as his on the strings while not missing a single note. To be on that stage and cast that same spell on people like he and his crew did on me. I wanted it all.

How ironic.

I laughed. Me, a fifteen year old girl now living in Japan, a girl who has no idea what to do with her life as she sits there and listens to a boy she barely knew act like a reincarnation of her past self, unintentionally reminding her why that little nine year old wanted to play music so much in the first place.

I couldn't stop laughing. All of it was just so ironic.

"O-Oi. What's so funny? You think I won't do it? I'll show you! I'll show you all! I will become the Ace and spike my way to Nationals! I may be short but I can jump!"

"No no, that's not it!" I shook my head while I try to calm myself.

"Then why are you laughing?" he said in a pouty face. "Did I say something funny?"

"It's not what you said," I explained with a wide grin. "It's everything you did."

I only managed to confuse him more.

"Huh?"

I shook my head again. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I can guarantee you that the Little Giant wasn't always the Little Giant. Every famous person started off somewhere. So what am I saying?" I pointed two fingers at him, eye locked to his sharply. "I'm saying that you'll work your way up there kiddo, not now but soon. You'll outshine anyone that comes your way!"

Hinata stared, taken aback. But then he just _glowed_ , immensely, his eyes brightened and glistened. He's like a light bulb or better yet, the Sun.

He bowed. "T-Thank you Harri-chan! I'll do my best!"

I arched a brow. "Hey now, don't get all teary-eyed from a few words of wisdom."

"I'm not!"

He failed to back up his claim by wiping the wetness in his eyes with his sleeves. I guess something brought him down earlier or he's just super emotional.

"By the way, what are you doing way out here anyway?"

I shrugged. "Nothing much. Just chillin."

The school bells rang and Hinata and I said our goodbyes before I watched him hurry away to get to his class. I was about to do the same until I realized two things that made me froze still.

Number one was that I just imitated my dad in order to lift the boy's spirits. That two finger action and famous quote was what he replied to me when I was little, when I declared wanting to grow up to be like him. It was enough to make be blush in shame.

Number two, I lost my phone. It wasn't in my pockets nor was it in my bag. I searched the grassy area. No luck. I had to retrace my steps, but I blindly ran my way here so there's no way for me to recall where I've been!

So I searched the school campus the best I could. Halfway my stomach caved in to painful cramps so I stopped to eat my untouched food. I ended up feeling sick for shoving it down too fast and had to run to the nearest bathroom.

Because of the whole fiasco, I returned to class twenty minutes late. I was too bitter and pissed off to care. I stepped in, feeling I could literally breathe fire at any moment. I guess that's the reason why the teacher let me off easy, other than me being a new student and all. There were very little fucks I gave.

I breezed through the rest of class lectures, half listening to what was said. I had my face squished to the wood most of the time as I lazily scribbled down notes. I could've sworn I felt eyes on me every now and then. I wasn't annoyed enough to check though. I was too focused on the many ways Kunio might kill me for losing my phone on the first day of school.

The final bell was pure bliss to my senses. School is done. I can finally go home. I packed my stuff as moved as quickly as the other students. Making my way towards the gates, I wondered if I should stop and wait for Jun. I didn't feel like facing him, but I didn't want to be rude either. I stood aimlessly at the gates contemplating on what I should do. Should I stay or should I go?

The Clash pun unintended.

"Thompson-san!"

Needless to say I was surprised to hear someone calling me. I turned to see a boy run to me. I knit my brows together as he stopped to catch his breath, his hands on his knees.

"Um, do I know you?"

My low voice made him tense and bolt up straight. My eyes instantly took notice of the freckles doting his face.

"Um n-no, but we are classmates!" He chucked nervously, his body visibly shaking. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who'd sneakily try anything. He appears mostly fragile and shy. Makes me think he was dared to talk to me. "I'm T-Tadashi Yamaguchi. Welcome to Japan!"

"Thanks." Was all I said, my tone flat. I have nothing against the fellow, I just wished he get to the point.

Luckily, he managed to pick it up and quickly fished through his pocket.

"I-I was just wondering… could this be yours by any chance?"

I sucked in my breath once he held out the object in his hand.

"My phone!" I exclaimed happily, eyes glistening and close to tears as I had it back in my palms. "Now Kunio won't kill me after all! Thank you so much Yamaguchi!"

I could tell he was stunned a bit, not expecting my bubbly attitude, but he smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's no trouble, but it wasn't me who found it. My friend Tsukishima said you dropped it right after you bumped into him. Apparently you ran too fast for him to give it back to you."

"Oh." I replayed the memory of crashing into someone who felt like a brick wall after I met the Unlimited Sound Club. I never got to see his face though. So his name is Tsukishima. I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Well, give him my thanks will you? I'll even treat him to something if he's willing to accept. It can be anything." After all it's only right after all the trouble I caused.

Yamaguchi stared, not expecting my nice offer either. He then brightened with a smile and nodded enthusiastically.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him. Have a nice day Thompson-san!" He bowed and _skipped_ back into the school campus.

Why do I get the feeling I just said something I'll soon regret? Oh well, I'll dwell on it later.

I activated my cellphone and saw a text message. It's from Jun, and it's quite recent. I opened it.

 _I have a club meeting today so don't worry about waiting for me at the gate. You can go on ahead. I'll be home soon._

I sighed. Well that's one less thing to worry about. I left the school grounds alone as I strolled to the nearest bus stop, which was a few blocks away. Every step I took my chest got heavier and breathing felt like a chore.

I wonder… if Jun is mad at me. If so, won't blame him.

I hate myself just as much.

 **AN: And TBC! I hope there isn't already an existing band named Raining in Space, because this was something I completely made up while trying to think of a name that sounded cool (at least to me). Hope this chapter wasn't confusing and that you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more! Some feedback is always appreciated!**


	5. A Club that Destines to Rise

Chapter 5: A Club that Destines to Rise

"Junichi, you're up early."

Junichi hummed in relply, spotting his stepfather sitting at the dining table, sipping coffee while reading through papers. He yawned.

"So are you."

Adrian shrugged. "I've always been an early bird. Right now I'm just reviewing today's shipments, see if everything's in order. So I'm guessing today's the day huh?"

He asked this while eying his stepson's violin case strapped to his shoulders along with his school bag. Jun nodded. Adrian smiled.

"Shall I at least prepare you something before you head out? I may not be as good as your father, but I can excel at making some good old fashion pancakes. You got time right?"

"Sure." He'd be an idiot for turning down his stepfather's pancakes. They really are the best.

Settling down at the table, Jun watched Adrian work his magic on the stove, flipping the pancakes every now and then with high expertise.

"You know you've been pretty quiet yesterday since you arrived home," the man said as he poured another dollop of batter in the frying pan. "Is something on your mind?"

"A lot is on my mind, considering today and all."

"I see. But remember, the more you think, the more likely you'll mess up."

"I know."

Silence stretched between them, nothing but the sound of the pancake sizzling on the fire.

"Dad… can I ask you something?"

"Of course son. What is it?"

Jun bit his lip, choosing his words carefully before asking.

"Did you ever know about Hari-chan not playing the guitar anymore?"

There was a slight pause when the stepfather was about to flip over the pancake. He sighed and continues cooking.

"Yeah. My brother told me about that years ago. He was disheartened, but at the same time he wasn't surprised."

Junichi furrowed his brows at Adrian's back. "Why? What happened?"

"It's nothing serious really." Adrian placed a plate of hot pancakes in front to the boy and smiled. "In fact, it's a struggle that almost every musician goes through. Remember back in middle school, when you had to perform a solo piece in front of an audience?"

Junichi nodded. "I was very nervous then. It was my first time doing any solos on stage and I was afraid I would make mistakes. But as I began playing, I was able to draw my focus away from the audience and it didn't feel so bad."

"That's right." Adrian continues making more pancakes. "Stage fright is very common for musicians. However, they vary in different levels depending on the person. You were able to overcome yours easily. Harriet on the other hand…"

"Wait, you mean she has stage fright?" Surprise was evident on Junichi's face. "But she always comes off as confident, even when she plays."

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" Adrian chuckled. "I will admit, I was surprised too, but then Alix reminded me just what kind of person Harriet is."

Junichi sat quietly, waiting for his stepdad to continue, paying little attention to the pancakes in front of him.

"You never met her then, but Harriet was always distant when she was little. She was a constant target for bullies and she had trouble making friends. Before she met Tia, she was always alone. And now, if you look closely, you'll see not much has changed since then. Her behavior is different, but it's set in a way so she grows more and more distant towards the people around her. She refuses to make friends, and she hates any attention drawn to her, if it's not intentional on her part. So considering everything I just said, can you imagine someone like that performing on stage, having of hundreds of eyes on them? How will that turn out?"

Jun says nothing, but Adrian could see by the boy's expression all of it was sinking in, understanding.

"Her first performance was her last so to speak," he continued. "Apparently, she made so many mistakes it took a toll on her. She just couldn't handle the pressure. And because of that, she lost so much confidence in her abilities she barely plays the guitar anymore. Thus, her dreams of becoming as good as her father seemed impossible to her.

Junichi had his fists clenched on the table. His head lowered, hair shielding the view of his face.

"You should eat. The pancakes don't taste as good when they're cold. Plus you gotta go soon."

"…It's my fault." Junichi's voice wavered a little. "I was so excited to introduce her to my club. We all kept rambling about how good she is, how we needed someone like her. Not once did I consider how she felt. I pressured her, and now I feel an invisible line between us. I'm such a terrible person."

The boy jumped when feeling a warm hand pat his head. It stayed there, fingers gently messing through the fluffy locks. Junichi looked up at his stepfather's smile.

"I wouldn't go that far," Adrian said. "I understand what you were trying to do. If I had known it would end up like this, I would've warned you beforehand. So don't beat yourself up about it. You didn't know. And you know, I think this might be good for her."

"How is that?"

"Harriet may have lost her confidence, but I don't believe she wants to give up music completely. Right now, you can say she's lost. So, all she needs is some guidance." He said this while gazing at Junichi intently with a grin. The boy tensed, pointing a shaky finger to himself.

"M-Me?"

Adrian laughed. "Of course you! Have you not seen how close you two have gotten? If there's anyone she'd be willing follow right now, it's you."

Junichi's face heats up in a blush as his eyes drift down to the pancakes. He clapped his hands and said his thanks and began eating in a flurry. However, during the meal there was a glimmer of determination in his eyes.

"I'm heading out!" He abruptly stood after wiping his face clean of syrup and grabbed his bags.

"Would you like Scott to drive you to school?" Adrian asked.

Junichi shook his head. "He worked late last night didn't he? He's still asleep on the couch. I'll be fine."

"Aright then." Seeing him leave, he called out. "Don't stir up too much trouble!"

Junichi grinned and made a salute. "The only person doing the troublemaking will be Hiroki-san!"

* * *

 _I'm having trouble trying to sleep_

 _I'm counting sheep but running out_

I yawned heavily as I strolled through the campus of Karasuno. My mp3 was on shuffle and it decided to play Green Day. There's no other song that could describe my morning. If I felt like the living dead yesterday, then today I must be a rotting corpse.

 _As time ticks by_

 _And still I try_

 _No rest for crosstops in my mind_

 _On my own here we go_

My head nodded slightly, whether it was to follow the beat of the music or from pure drowsiness I didn't know.

I didn't see Jun at all today. I was told by my uncle Adrian that he left early, while giving me a worried look. He asked me if I was sick and if I wanted to stay home, but I didn't want to be a burden (even though I was tempted to stay). So I just stuffed myself with his famous pancakes and left for school alone. Now I'm wondering how I'm going to survive today.

I turned a corner, about to enter the first-year's district when I was suddenly pulled back by both arms.

"What the- Hey!"

Wide awake, I found myself pulled to a shady area in the campus, away from curious eyes, and I was released. I whipped around, ready in my defensive stance as I faced my kidnappers.

"What's the big idea you-"

"Shhhh!"

I lowered my guard, gaping in surprise to find Hiroki and Masami, members of Junichi's club.

"The hell is-"

"SHHHHHH!"

They shushed me louder. I was getting slightly annoyed.

They looked around to see if no one was spying or listening in before finally turning to me. They lean in, one hand cupping their mouths as if they were letting me in on a secret, which is most likely the case. I removed my headphones.

"There's an event going on today," Hiroki went first in a low whisper. "Held in the auditorium during lunch period."

"And why did telling me this require you to drag me all the way here?"

"Because you are now one of few people who know about it," Misami said. "It's a surprise. Not even the principle knows about it."

"What?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing illegal," Hiroki assured with a happy grin. "We were given permission to use the auditorium for 'sets' or at least that's what we led the staff to think. We're actually going to display our grand debut to all of Karasuno!"

"It's so bad. We might get in so much trouble." Masami said that… but was also smiling.

I just don't get her.

"So… why are you telling me this?"

"Kenta-chan said you might want to see it. He is the star of the show after all~," Hiroki stated proudly.

"And Takeo-kun," Masami added.

Surprise was probably written on my face. Jun is performing? And he wants me to be there?

Is that why he left so early?

Before I could get more info about this event, the bell had rung.

"Oh, sounds like our time is up. Be at the auditorium in ten minutes during lunch. See ya then!" Hiroki waved while dashing towards the district for second-years. I followed Masami.

"Hold up!" I called after her, grabbing her arm to a halt. "Why are you all going through such lengths to do this? Do you really believe this'll accomplish anything?"

She stared at me for a while. Her expression was hard to read.

"We both have a similar ambition don't we?" I tensed a bit at her words and Masami easily slipped from my grip, her emerald eyes still locked to my coal black ones. "I learned that if you really want something, sometimes you have to take risks or else you won't get very far. That's the only thing holding me back, but I still try to fight against it."

She tilted her head sideways, gazing at me quizzically. I gulped.

"So Hari-chan, what's holding you back? And are you strong enough to fight against it?"

* * *

Those questions lay edged in my brain throughout the entire period of lectures. It was hard for me to focus on what's around me as I tried my best to jot down notes.

 _What's holding you back?_

I gripped my lead pencil.

 _Are you strong enough to fight against it?_

My eyes flashed back to when I was thirteen, where I performed at the school's annual talent show. I sighed. I promised myself to never be put through that nightmare again, that playing just for the heck of it would be enough. I'd only play for me and not for the countless pairs of judging eyes.

Does that make me weak?

Once class ended I left quickly, though I was not even sure why. I traveled to my hiding spot I found yesterday and settled to eat there. Five minutes have passed and I was still deciding on whether or not I should go. Hiroki said Jun wants me there, but why? After everything I said to him? What is he planning?

"Oi! Will you slow down dumbass?"

My ears picked up someone yelling from a distance.

"Come on Kageyama or we'll be late!"

Hey, that's Hinata's voice! On my knees, I peered from behind the tree I sat under to see that sunny boy drag a friend of his somewhere. Said friend yanked his arm away from Hinata's hold, his face clearly expressed annoyance.

"Late for what? All you said was that there's this event thing held at th- _mmph!_ "

Hinata quickly clamped his hands over the taller boy's mouth and glanced around to see if anyone was listening. Luckily, he didn't spot me.

"Be quiet idiot! This is a secret, meaning no one must know yet!"

The boy yanked his hands away again. "I know what it means dumbass!" He yelled, but his tone was softer this time.

Wait, don't tell me…

" _Psst, Hinata!"_

I spotted two other boys, their heads poked out from the corner of a building. They discreetly motioned Hinata and his friend over. The two went over to them.

As they disappeared from behind the corner, I packed my half-eaten lunch and went to follow them.

I just had to be sure.

I quietly stepped to the corner and pressed my back to the wall. I could hear them talking really close to where I was standing from the other side. I listened carefully.

"So you say it's at the auditorium right?" asked a voice I didn't recognize.

"Yup!" That's Hinata's. "And we have to be there in less than five minutes."

"Are you sure we should be a part of this?" came his friend's voice. "We have nothing to do with this club and since this isn't authorized, we could get in trouble."

"But I promised Kenta-kun I would come." I could hear the whine in Hinata's voice. "And he said I could invite any of my friends over. We're the guests of honor!"

"G-Guests of honor!?"

"Like VIP members!?"

The two boys spoke. They must be oozing with exhilaration.

"Yeah!" says Hinata. "Come on Kageyama, even Yachi will be joining us!"

"I don't know. I'm not even that interested in music."

"But Kenta-kun is great! You'll love him!"

"Also, Tanaka and I made sure Daichi-san and Suga-san know nothing about this!"

"Yup, we made it this far without arousing suspicion. We're totally in the clear!"

"Oh really?" I say loudly, stepping into the open. All of them tensed at my presence and I grin wickedly.

"Busted~"

The two boys (one bald and the other a short spicky-haired brunette with a touch of blond) cried dramatically while the third guy (one with cropped black hair and midnight blue eyes) appeared apprehensive.

"We've been caught!" both the baldy and the short brunette wailed.

"Well to be fair, you guys weren't very subtle with your sneaking around. It's impossible not to notice." I say, casually checking my nails.

"Hari-chan!"

Not completely surprised, Hinata was the only person not worried about being caught red-handed and bounced over to me, with that trademark sunny smile of his.

"Sup."

"You know her?" asked the raven head, who immediately relaxed and gazed at me analytically.

The boy nodded. "She's Kenta-kun's cousin. She just moved here last week."

"Oh yeah, I heard people talk about a new kid who came from the US and apparently she's super scary," said the brunette.

I smiled. "It's nice to know my reputation's up to date. I find it flattering." I hugged Hinata from behind, making him jump.

"So Hi-na-ta-chan~" I sang. "Who are these lackeys you're inviting to my sweet cousin's special event?"

The orange head stuttered. "U-Uh t-th-th-the-th-th-"

"Better speak up or I'll pinch those chubby cheeks, like _this_."

I trapped him with one arm while my fingers pulled at his cheek. He flailed, trying to get away, but he was like a fly caught in the web. There was no escape.

The tall bald head came to his rescue. He chuckled, giving me a wide grin. "I am Ryuunosuke Tanaka, Karasuno's Wing Spiker! Nobody messes with the likes of me because I'm a force to be reckoned with!"

"And I am Yuu Nishinoya!" The brunette shouted with equal vigor. "The greatest Libero to ever walk the Earth!"

"Tobio Kageyama. Setter," the dark raven said simply.

"The volleyball gang I see. Pleasure. I'm Harriet Thompson," I greeted, still pulling Hinata's cheek. "Back home, people call me the Nightmare Witch. I hope to proclaim that same title here. Well Hinata-chan, now that introductions are made, you are free to go. For now that is."

I released him and he dashed to hide behind Tanaka. He blushed while rubbing his cheek, sticking out his lower lip in a pout.

"Wow, you really are wicked," Nishinoya laughed. "Makes me glad we're not in the same class."

"You should be. Because trust me, I can do a lot worse."

It was then a female voice called out to us and we saw three people coming our way. The blond girl waved at us, panting while two boys followed behind her.

"Yachi!" Hinata waved back. "You made it! Oh, and you brought Yamaguchi and Tsukishima!"

"Fantastic," I hear Kageyama mutter, sounding not at all pleased.

I recognized them. Yachi, the girl who bumped into me yesterday. Yamaguchi, my classmate who returned my phone. So Tsukishima is…

Oh no.

The tall blond in glasses saw me as well. Our eyes met.

Oh _god_ no!

I hate my fucking life!

"S-Sorry I'm late," the girl apologized. "There's still time right?"

"Yeah, don't worry. We still got time," Hinata assured her.

"Still, sorry about that," said Yamaguchi. "It took a while to convince Tsukki to come with us."

"You should've left him," Kageyama muttered again. I couldn't agree more. We were still staring, me glaring while he just… stared. I then caught a flash in his eyes that I didn't like.

To my displeasure, Yamaguchi noticed me. "Oh, Thompson-san. Hi!" He waved, smiling and pointed to his friend. "This is Tsukishima."

"I can see that." I didn't try to hide the spite in my voice. Of all the people I could've run into with the name Tsukishima, I just _had_ to be him.

The tall blond arched his brow. "Is there a problem?"

"Obviously."

He shrugged, his smile snide. "If it makes you feel any better, you have yourself to blame. I was only innocently passing through until you blindly ran into me. Isn't this the part where you thank me or something? You know, for finding your phone you so carelessly dropped?"

"You don't deserve my thanks. Just looking at you makes me sick."

It was dead quiet all around us. Everyone was clueless as to what's going on and no one knew whether or not if it was okay to step in.

"Well, technically you already did, unless Yamaguchi was lying to me. He also relayed to me… something about you wanting to treat me? Anything I want?"

"Forget it," I said quickly. There's no way I'm giving this ass anything. But he wasn't fazed; in fact the prick was still smiling!

"I figured." He pushed his glasses up his nose. The light hitting the frames hid his eyes. "I go out of my way to do one nice thing and this is what I get in return. Never really pictured you as the type to go back on your word. I guess looks can be deceiving after all. Then again, spoiled rich kids like you have no time for peasants like us."

Something in me snapped.

"You-"

I was held back. I didn't notice I was moving until someone had me by the abdomen. Everything just went black for a moment and all I felt was an immense white hot burn throughout my body. I then took notice of Tanaka being the one who stopped me, holding me back from behind. I took notice of how tightly my fists were clenched, ready to strike blows. It surprised me. I've… never acted this way before.

I could see the others were surprised as well, shocked by the turn of events. The tense atmosphere was so thick. Too thick it's hard to breathe.

And there in front of me, guarded by a trembling Yamaguchi with his arms spread in an attempt to be a protective shield, stood my target.

As I stared at him silently and thought, no, I've never felt this way before. This feeling was different compared to all the annoying guys I tussled with in the past. He's the first. My body felt limp as my gaze shifted to the ground in thought, my violet head hiding my face from view.

What does this mean?

A giggle escaped my throat. It soon escalated to laughter.

I don't know. I really don't know.

How funny.

I continued to laugh. It was loud and high-pitched, like something you'd hear from a haunted thriller film. I could feel the shivers from Tanaka's arm around me.

I finally stopped. The air was quite again.

"Tsukishima was it?" I said slowly. My black lips twisted to a vile grin. "I'll remember that name. I'll remember it well."

I slowly moved out of the wing spicker's grip and thankfully, he let me go.

"I'm going on ahead."

Those were my final words before my feet carried me away from the group, my hands clasped together behind my back. I didn't need to face them in order to know what kind of faces they're making. This was not at all how I expected the whole thing would go. I just wanted to tease and frighten everyone and after that, I could go about my own business. I'm not even sure if I want to attend Jun's secret event, but I find my footsteps taking me there anyway.

My face fell flat at the thought. I don't see the point in going, but if Jun really wants me there, then it's the least I can do right?

I can't help but wonder what he's thinking right now.

"Hari-chan!"

To my great astonishment, I see Hinata catching up to me and walking steadily by my side. I met his gaze, trying to find any traces of fear that should be present on his face, but all I found was concern. I looked away, facing straight ahead and sighed.

"Sorry you and your friends had to witness that. I'll admit that was a bit uncalled for," I say, keeping composed.

"You really don't like Tsukishima?"

"Do you?"

I hear the small boy grunt in thought.

"Well, he's not the easiest person to get along with. He gets on my nerves a lot and always teases me about my height whenever we practice. But I don't really hate him. He's a valuable asset to the team."

"I do."

I yelped at the voice coming from my other side. Somehow the raven-head appeared out of nowhere and was walking with us.

"You don't count Kageyama," Hinata said to him, finding his sudden appearance to be practically normal. "You hate everyone."

"Not true!" he snapped. "You don't count as everyone dumbass! Plus, Tsukishima is the type I can't stand. Only on the court do I find him tolerable because then he doesn't focus on using his smartass mouth."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels the hate for that blondie," I say dully. "All aboard the hate train. Hate club members only. There we hope to find many ways to make the bastard Tsukishima erase from our lives for good."

Kagayama looked at me. "Can I join?"

"You're in."

"Sweet."

"I wanna join too!" Hinata bounced and shot his hand up.

"Aww, but you just said you don't really hate him. Besides, I don't really see you hating anybody." I smiled sweetly, wiggling my thumb and index finger. "And who would ever want to hate you and your adorable hamster cheeks?"

Hinata shrieked and ran. I chase after him, holding out my fingers playfully while he hid his cheeks with his hands. The two of us ran in circles around Kageyama. Hinata tried calling to him for help.

"You'll live." Was all he got in reply.

I grinned. I'm starting to like this guy.

* * *

The three of us arrived at the gymnasium first. Before I started school I learned that Japan's school auditoriums connect with the gymnasium and that chairs are set manually. I found it odd. The others caught up behind us and I made it my mission to ignore Tsukishima as much as possible.

I knocked at the door and after a few seconds of waiting, the door slid open a crack. We could hear Hiroki's voice from inside.

"What's the password…"

I stared. "You never gave me a password."

"I didn't?"

"Nope."

"Kenta-kun never said anything about a password either," Hinata added.

We jumped when the door snapped open all the way with a bang. Hiroki stood before us looking disappointed.

"Damn it man," he drawled. "That was supposed to be the most epic part of the whole secret business. I can't believe we didn't add that in."

"Are you going to let us in or not?" Tsukishima asked impatiently.

"Now now, I know you're all eager, but if you must know, I'm manning security. I need to take names of those who are invited and those who they brought as guests." Hiroki had out his clipboard and pen. He cleared his throat. "First up is Shouyo Hinata-"

"Here!" Hinata shouted raising his hand.

The maroon head laughed. "Lovely! And who did you invite?"

"Kageyama, Tanaka, and Nishinoya!"

Hiroki nodded, scribbling some things down. "And you're good to go! Come on in and welcome!"

He motioned inside and Hinata, Tanaka, and Nishinoya hollered and ran in like a stampede, dragging Kageyama with them.

"Next is Hitoka Yachi," Hiroki continued.

"H-Here!" The short blond raised her hand.

"And you brought…"

"Y-Yamaguchi and Tsukishima."

"Excellent! You may now enter~"

The three walked inside leaving me the only one left standing. Hiroki grinned at me.

"And last but not east, Harriet Thompson. And who did you bring?"

"Does it look like I brought anyone with me?" I pointed my thumb at the empty space behind me.

"I'm just messing with ya. Being a bouncer is just so much fun!" he quipped. Then his expression turned soft. "I almost thought you wouldn't come. I'm glad."

I rubbed my neck awkwardly. "Well, Jun wanted me to be here so-"

"It's more than that."

I gazed quizzically at him when he suddenly turned serious. "You know, when Kenta plays, all of Karasuno will be listening in. But I don't think he cares about that as much as the rest of us do. I don't know if you know this, but you've been his inspiration for a long time. I didn't know how deep it was until you rejected us yesterday. I've never seen him look so beat up and I almost thought we weren't going to pull this off. But then early this morning, he came in looking determined and pumped. He was set on making this happen no matter what. And you know, I think I may know why."

He gave me a smile, confident with his next words.

"Kenta-chan doesn't care if Karasuno or even the whole world hears him play. Without you there to listen, to him, all of this is meaningless. That's why I'm glad to see you here."

Hiroki left me at the doorway, allowing me to let his words sink in.

Junichi… when I first met him, he never cared about music. Yet he could play almost any instrument he could get his hands on at a young age. He was a quick learner. He was gifted.

And yet he didn't care about music. The fact always left me frustrated. I only grew up learning how to play the guitar from my dad. I tried so hard to learn his tricks and make up my own as I went along. I never saw myself as anything special compared to him and Jun. Back then, in my mind, my dad was my pedestal and Jun was my rival. Both of them were my inspiration, my motivation to get better. Never did I believe it would be the same for Jun.

I chuckled despite myself. Irony has struck again.

I straightened up and stared ahead inside the gym/auditorium, where the event will be held inside. As I stepped inside the building I made a solid promise to myself. Masami's words echoed in my mind.

" _What's holding you back?"_

" _Are you strong enough to fight against it?"_

I don't know how strong I am because for years all I did was run. Now though, I can say that I'm willing to try. _  
_

 **TBC**


	6. A Club that Destines to Rise (Part II)

**AN: Sorry for the slow update! I had a bit of writer's block trying to map this chapter out. To make up for it you get a longer chapter! Still, I'm not really all that confident in the turnout but I did my best! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 6: A Club that Destines to Rise (Part II)

Once everyone was present inside the gym/auditorium for the highly anticipated/secret surprise event hosted by the Unlimited Sound Club, the clueless invited students weren't really expecting much. Or at least they didn't know what to expect. What the majority believed was once the club performs their gig, their music would somehow be loud enough to attract the students all over campus and it would somehow draw them to locate the source. This way, gaining the attention they hoped for while _somehow_ not getting into trouble by the teachers and staff.

Apparently that was not the case. The Unlimited Sound Club's plan was better thought out than any of them had anticipated.

Their ace in the group being the infamous Saru Hiroki, the wayward prankster of Karasuno High.

The second-year may not be joining the spotlight on stage, but his role is just as important, if not very. When one of them asked what it is, his answer was very simple. The maroon head smiled and said one word with boundless exuberance.

"Hacking!"

The students gapped. He wasn't serious was he? Hiroki had nothing more to say to them as he was called backstage by Masami, yelling at him to hurry and set up. He flashed a grin at their guests before disappearing behind the curtains.

"And he said they weren't doing anything illegal," Harriet muttered to herself.

She hears Tanaka and Nishinoya shouting praise about Saru's skills, both recognizing him as the one who devised filling the vice principal's office with water balloons. That caught the others' attention and the second-years relayed the events that happened during their first year. Apparently that prank wasn't all Hiroki did. That time was when the summer waves really hit hard to a point where students had trouble focusing in class. Deciding enough was enough, Hiroki devised a plan that simply involved water balloons. A lot of water balloons.

"His family owns a party store so that was how he was able to get all the supplies he needed," Tanaka said. "Oh man you should've seen it! On campus there were giant coolers filled with those things everywhere, buried in ice! It was too tempting that almost no one resisted!"

"It was a grand free for all! Everyone was soaked but because of the summer heat, no one cared," Nishinoya added. "Sadly, the vice gave him a week of detention for it and **that** was what led to the office filled with water balloons the next day that got him suspended. I swear that guy is a riot! Even the third years commended him for his bravery!"

"Gwaaaaaaaah, how cool!" Hinata awed. "I'm jealous! We should have done that in my middle school last year! Summer was too hot!"

"That definitely sounds like a fun way to cool off," Yachi spoke with envy. "You two are lucky."

"Hiroki-sempai should totally do that again this year!"

"He should," Kageyama agreed.

"But Hiroki-san already got in trouble for that," Yamaguchi reasoned. "Wouldn't he get into deeper trouble if he did it a second time?"

"If he's going as far as hacking today then I'm sure he wouldn't mind," said Tsukishima. "Also, I believe it's in our best interest we don't stay here any longer."

"Huh? Why?" Hinata asked incredulously as he and the others watch the tall blond head towards the exit.

Tsukishima stopped and turned back to face them. "Are you joking? These people are insane. We have no idea what exactly they're planning and now we've discovered that hacking is involved. If this gets out of hand, do you think the school will let them off easy? Let's not forget that we ourselves are under the vice principal's scrutiny. Think about how much this will damage our club."

Harriet noticed the group tense. Even the second years were brought to silence. It made her wonder if they've gotten under a bad rap with the school before.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," Kageyama spoke at last. "We can't stay here."

Hinata snapped to him. "But-"

"Do you really want to sacrifice volleyball for this?" Kageyama cut through the boy's words like a knife. The boy stood rigid eyes wide under the piercing stare of his partner.

"Of course not!" he shouted back, meeting his glare, but then turned away contemplating. "But… Kenta-kun, I promised…"

Unfortunately that only set the raven head off more as he loomed over to him.

"Kenta-kun this, Kenta-kun that," he fisted the smaller boy's collar tightly in his grip. "Just what's so special about him?!"

"Oi Kageyama!" Tanaka stepped forward. Nishinoya right beside him.

"Answer me Hinata!"

Hinata's teeth clenched. Whenever he tried to say something, the words end up clogged in his throat. All he could do was glare heatedly back at Kageyama.

"He does have a point," a voice says very close from behind Hinata. A pair of hands was placed on his shoulders, firm but gentle. Kageyama was so surprised by the new girl's presence that his grip on Hinata's shirt slacked a bit. Harriet used that opportunity to pull the short boy away, creating enough distance between the two, meanwhile turning Hinata around so he could face her.

Hinata shifted a bit from her gaze. It wasn't intimidating like Kageyama's, but he could feel her analyzing him carefully, trying to read him. Those coal back eyes that showed almost no color didn't make him feel any more comfortable.

"From our conversation yesterday, I could tell you valued volleyball a lot," she continued, her voice surprisingly soft. "If you left I'm sure Jun wouldn't mind. He'd understand. So why do feel you should stay so badly?"

"W-Well…" It's weird but he had the sudden urge to pour everything out to her. He could tell her anything and everything, and he barely knows her. It's like he's under some kind of spell. Hinata gulped and finally found his voice.

"Well, it's because Kenta-kun is my friend. Sure, we didn't know each other long and we don't have much in common, but he's still my friend. Despite our differences, we've always supported each other. When he told me he planned on making this club, I encouraged him. I encouraged him because I heard him play a few times. He's amazing! His plans for this club are amazing to! I… I feel like the reason why he's made it this far was because of me supporting him. So if I leave now, wouldn't that mean that I abandoned him?"

His head casted downwards, arms shaking. "Kenta-kun is smart. He's also a good person. I doubt he and his friends would do anything bad. I believe that. Strongly. So… I guess that's… that's why…"

He stuttered, losing his train of thought of what he's trying to convey. A hand rubbed gently on his head, followed by the sound of a soft giggle.

"I never knew you could be so kind Hinata-chan. Thank you for taking care of my cousin. The world needs good people like you."

The girl's words caused heat to flow on the middle blocker's cheeks.

"I feel the same way too, you know."

Surprised, Hinata raised his head. "Really?"

The violet head nodded, grinning. "I'm surprised at how much Jun has changed over the years. I can't help but feel proud of him, and I haven't heard him play yet! You are right though, he's smart. Not only that, but he always takes everyone into consideration. If this was a bad idea from the start, he wouldn't go with it. He also wouldn't get anyone involved."

There was a dark undertone as she spoke her last two sentences, meanwhile shifting her gaze to Tsukishima. The others could tell she was upset with the way he spoke of her cousin and his club, if her apoplectic glare was any indication. It caused the tall blond to turn away. It did little help. Again he could feel those eyes on him and it sent unpleasant chills down his spine. That girl definitely has the habit of getting her point across without words.

Her mood suddenly shifted as she sighed and stretched her arms.

"Geez what a pain, but I feel this needs to be done. I know I'm just some foreign new girl to you all and my earlier 'episode' makes me an untrustworthy character, but I guess when it comes down to it, I'd do anything for my cousin. So…" She bowed low. "Please stay. Anything that happens in this event, this club and I will take full responsibility. You have my word."

"H-Hari-chan!" she hears Hinata but chooses to ignore him for now.

 _What the hell am I doing?_ Harriet thought as she kept her head low and her eyes closed. She honestly couldn't care less if they stayed or not, but the club needs the support right? Even if it's a small group that's the volleyball club. Hinata's willing to stay though so really, she shouldn't care.

"And speaking of which…" she continued, straightening up. "You! Four-eyes!"

She aimed her finger at Tsukishima. He tensed.

"That's not my name," he muttered, but gave her his attention anyway, slightly apprehensive though of what she could possibly want. At least on the inside.

There was a small growl in the back of her throat as if regretting her next words. At this point, she refused to look at him, arms crossed resentfully and… was she blushing? That piqued his interest and the blond wanted to laugh at how funny she looked. He wasn't stupid though or suicidal. He learned his lesson last time and only survived the girl's wrath because of Tanaka.

"Saturday," she forced out, face reddening. "On Saturday I'll give you whatever your little heart desires alright? I don't care if you're busy that day. Make room for it or I'll call it off and punch you in the face. Is that clear Tsukishima?"

It's clear to see she'd rather follow through with her threat than give Tsukishima anything he wants. The fact that she's changed her mind is a shock factor for everyone witnessing it, including Tsukishima.

But before the blond could even voice a reply…

"Oh? Now what have we here?"

Everyone's heads snapped to the person at the entrance, standing directly behind Tsukishima.

She was an average sized adult with bubblegum pink hair tied into a messy bun. Her white button up had sleeves rolled up to her elbows and were tucked under a blood red patterned office skirt.

No doubt she's a teacher. It's too late now. They've been caught before the event even started.

The Karasuno students stood quietly in growing fear as she adjusts her glasses, eyeing them like a hawk. And soon…

"Oh my, you must be our special guests! Welcome! I hope you find everything okay!~"

Saying her bubbly greeting took the students off guard would be the understatement of the year. Unfortunately, the teacher mistook their silence for something completely different.

"Oh! Of course, where are my manners? Call me Ima! I'm a music teacher volunteering as supervisor for the Unlimited Sound Club!" She clapped her hands. "I just came back and it seems the show's about ready to start! This way, this way! VIPs always get the best seats in the house!"

No one could stop her as they were ushered to the assorted chairs in front of the stage. Tanaka, Hinata, and Nishinoya were very eager though once hearing they were VIP guests. Ima nodded in satisfaction seeing everyone seated at the front rows. She checked her watch.

"Alright! We've got one minute left before the show begins! Do any of you have questions you'd like to ask before then? Come on, don't be shy.~"

Yamaguchi slowly raised his hand.

"Ah yes, you! The freckled cutie! What's on your mind?"

The fact that he was called cute knocked him off the edge for a bit, making his face heat up.

"U-um," he stammered. "What exactly are you performing, i-if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm glad you asked! This performance will be staring two of our famous club members, Takeo-kun and Kenta-kun! The piece is composed by Takeo-kun and the instruments they'll be using are turntables and the violin."

"Turn... tables?" Hinata asked puzzled. He leans to whisper to Harriet. "What are turntables?"

"Otherwise known as the dj controller," she whispers back. "That must be the instrument Takeo's using."

"He's a Dj? That's so cool!"

She shrugged. "Never would've thought either."

"Okay kids, we have time for one last question before we start, so make it count! Anyone?"

It was Tsukishima who raises his hand.

"How will this attract any listeners if we're the only ones who know about it?"

Ima chuckled, adjusting her glasses again. "Another _very_ good question. That responsibility is left to Hiroki-kun. If everything goes according to plan, he should be done right about-"

Her sentence was cut by multiple rings and buzzes sounding all at once.

"The hell?" Kageyama fished his phone out. "A text?"

"I got one too!" shouted Hinata.

"So did I!" confirmed Yachi.

"I do too, but there's no sender on mine," says Nishinoya.

"Wait, so this is what Hiroki meant by hacking?" asks Harriet, reading the text.

Ima smiles brightly. "Oh, so you are aware. Well, since Hiroki-kun also has a knack for computer programing, we decided to put that talent to good use, by simply sending a message to all the students of Karasuno."

So it's not just them. As of right now, everyone is aware of a performance happening in the auditorium. And with everyone receiving an unsuspecting text message at the exact same time by an anonymous sender, there's no doubt some will be curious enough to want to check it out.

It's crazy stupid. Stupid enough to actually work.

"And now, my honorable guests," Ima bows low respectfully. The curtains behind her begin to rise. "Please relax and enjoy the show."

* * *

"Junichi, you're trembling," says Takeo.

Junichi chuckles sheepishly. "Oh really? I guess it's because of the weight of this costume."

Though Takeo will admit that the fabric of the costumes he and Junichi had to wear were a bit heavy (and hot in the sleeves), the third year can see plain as day that it's not the cause of the boy's distress.

The boy is nervous. It's surprising to Takeo because since the day he's met him, Junichi rarely ever gets nervous before show starts, at least not to this extent. Thankfully, Takeo does not need to ask to know why he's like this. After all, this started ever since Hiroki bounced up to them happily stating that their guests have arrived. He even stated with vigor that Harriet was there among them before bouncing away to return to his wire-infested little lab.

But not without commenting that the two should star in a pirate movie, giving them stupid overused nicknames and jokes before Masami kicked him back to work. And what was once a strong-willed Junichi quickly became, I-seriously-cannot-do-this Junichi. Takeo sighed and reached to gently pat the boy's back.

"You're thinking too much. You know what happens if you do."

The boy laughed. "Yeah I know. I'll mess up. That'd be bad since I'm the president."

"You won't. You never do."

"Thanks, but it's not that. It's just…" Junichi's fingers absently idle over the wood and strings of his violin. "What if she doesn't like it?"

Takeo shrugs. "Only one way to find out. Either way, we're in far too deep to turn back. And I'm not going to be wearing this ridiculous outfit for nothing."

This time, Junichi laughs in a way that sounds wholehearted. "I think it suits you well, especially with the dreads."

"If I hear one more Captain Jack Sparrow joke, I'm leaving."

"At least you look like you fit the role! I look like a kid whose parents forced this on him for Halloween!"

"Both of you look fine!" Masami shouted, which startled the two, mostly because they didn't notice her appear. "You two don't get to judge since I was the one who had to buy these costumes _and_ set up the stage while you two practice!"

"S-Sorry Masami-san. Thank you for your hard work," they said in unison, not wanting to incur any anger from the tiny first year.

Her expression changed back to neutral. "We're on in two minutes. You should get ready."

The two nodded and quickly got to their places. The stage was set up in a way that looks like "a nighttime voyage through the seven seas" as Ima-sensei likes to call it. Even Takeo's turntables stand was decorated to give off that same vibe. His headphones are on and he begins activating the controllers while Junichi stands in front at the ready, violin and bow in each hand. They faintly hear Ima-sensei's voice at the other side of the thick curtains, conversing with the students.

Soon (too soon in Junichi's mind) sounds of ringing and buzzing fill the room, likely coming from the student's phones. Junichi gulps. That's the final cue.

 _Breathe Junichi. You've done this hundreds of times._ He tells himself as the curtains slowly roll up. _Don't think about it or you'll mess up._

He closes his eyes and steadily breathes, trying to calm his racing heart. He opens them again.

He's greeted by a small crowd in the front rows. Few he recognizes. His eyes land on Harriet. They lock on contact for a few moments.

His original purpose for doing this was to gain recognition and support for the club. Now however, because of yesterday, his purpose has shifted. He doesn't care about recognition anymore.

 _Harriet's motivation to play was because of her father._ Junichi bows in respect to the audience before positioning his violin, the bow centimeters apart from the strings. _I may not be as good as him, but if I could, I'd like to bring that motivation back._

The first note draws out, echoing the whole building. Takeo follows behind on his control system, the two instruments twined together in a steady rhythm before it instantly picks up at a fast tempo. The notes are quick and precise and Junichi finds himself lost, already into the music he's making with Takeo. He doesn't feel like he's on stage anymore with people watching as he moves along with the beat. But he does know that this feeling is different from all the other times he's performed. He's putting extra effort on every note he plays so they'll be able to reach his cousin. It's not for anyone else, not to him.

He's bringing out his very best for her. He just hopes it works.

* * *

The boys are talented. That is definitely certain. More so, it feels like they've stepped into a theatre rather than a normal high school auditorium/gymnasium. Even though, appearance wise, it's just two boys in silly looking pirate costumes on a stage setting that's supposed to look like a pirate ship on sea, the music they're playing fits well with it all.

And it's good.

The boy with the violin takes lead as he moves across the stage in elegant footsteps. He's obviously the main focus, but the young man's turntable skills are accounted for as well, him responsible for the upbeat rhythm of the speakers while the violinist is the melody. Both are in tune with one another despite being so different.

Harriet watches in awe, amazed.

Is that really Junichi? She has never seen him in this light before. This is so different from the other times she's watched him play years ago. The Junichi she knew always plays the right way, but always does it without any feeling to it, as if playing a song is just another task to complete. This Junichi, her cousin, is pouring everything he has in waves, roaring ocean waves, wanting his feelings to match the people listening.

And it's working. In the corner of her eyes, she can see Hinata and the others up off their seats, which made her realize that she herself was standing. There were noises and stuff said between them and even more coming from behind her she knows weren't there before. But she's tunes them out, eyes solely on her cousin and Takeo. As she watches she gets that feeling, that same feeling she gets when seeing her father's band perform.

So this is Jun's full potential. This is the Unlimited Sound Club.

* * *

Today was but a peaceful day for Sawamura Daichi.

So far, there had been no trouble. Morning practice went smoothly. Fights between Hinata and Kageyama were minimal, Tsukishima was giving more effort in his blocks, Tanaka and Nishinoya were more tolerable, and even Yamaguchi was showing signs of improvement. Daichi only wishes this could happen more often whenever his team practices volleyball together, but that would be asking too much.

Other than that today has been… very quiet. Or maybe he's just overthinking things. Still, since the beginning practice, he's noticed Hinata acting a little strange. It wasn't anything bad. The first year was the same little ball of limitless energy everyone's come to know, but Daichi couldn't help but notice that Hinata seemed a bit more excited and energetic than usual, if that's even possible. Sometimes the teammates had to calm him down because he was just all over the place to a point where even Kageyama couldn't keep up with him nor understand his exuberant behavior. No one did. Daichi had discussed this with his trusting partner Sugawara after practice. The vice captain shrugged and guessed that maybe something good came up for Hinata.

"As long as he's happy, it shouldn't be so bad right?"

That's true, and Daichi decided to leave it at that.

Then later at lunch, they encountered Asahi stating that he couldn't find Nishinoya. That shouldn't be a problem either since he'd most likely be hanging with either Tanaka, or Hinata and Kageyama.

They couldn't find any of them. They checked every spot they knew where the four would come often. They checked their homerooms and asked their classmates. No one's seen them.

It really shouldn't be a problem, that's what Daichi keeps telling himself and a very worried Asahi, but they hunted down the rest of the team to be sure. Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita haven't seen them. Even worse, Kiyoko was looking for Yachi and searched everywhere but couldn't find her.

And no one was able to spot Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

Today was but a peaceful day for Sawamura Daichi, at least it was.

"C-Could they have been kidnapped?" asked Asahi, already assuming the worst.

"Asahi…" Sugawara's hand was on his shoulder, his smile tight and his grip strong, making the taller man shrink. "That's a pretty strong conclusion. The school is big, they could be anywhere."

"Y-You're right! I'm sorry!"

It was a silly assumption, but Daichi could see that Asahi's words had scared Sugawara. Because no matter how one looks at it, the whole thing is strange. Just where could their teammates have gone to?

And then the most bizarre thing happened.

Their phones buzzed. I wasn't just them though. By the sound of it, it's like almost every phone that exists on campus began ringing and buzzing.

At the exact same time.

That can't be a coincidence.

Phone in hand, Daichi watches the students converse with themselves, looking just as confused as he was and showing each other the texts they received. A good majority were even heading… somewhere. He hasn't read message yet, but there must be a connection.

"Oh? An event is happening today." Suga's voice snapped him out of his muddled thoughts as he reads the message from his phone. Daichi decides to open and read his own text he got.

 _This is a must see!  
Music event happening in the auditorium from now till the end of lunch!  
Don't miss out! :D_

 _Sincerely, The Unlimited Sound Club_

So that's where the students are heading. There's no name of the sender. There's no number to trace the message either. All Daichi can assume is this person is a member of this club. And this person happens to be very skilled at computers.

"I feel like I'm in an anime," Asahi mutters. "It's just like this one anime I watched where the same thing happens."

"I know what you mean," says Sugawara. He scratches his head. "The Unlimited Sound Club. Can't say I've heard of them. They must be new. What you think Daichi?"

"I've never heard of them either." The captain sighs and rubs his forehead. Part of his team has gone missing and now this? He knew his day wouldn't be peaceful for long, but this was beyond his expectations.

His phone buzzed again and he flipped. Thankfully, he caught the device before it could hit the ground, it was only his phone that buzzed this time, and he was happy, oh so happy, that it was just Kiyoko who sent him a text and not some mysterious computer whiz. He's had enough surprises for one day.

 _Come to the event.  
I found them.  
It's hard to see, but they're at the front rows._

"What is it Daichi?" Suga asks.

"It's Kiyoko-san. She's found Nishinoya and the others. They're at the event."

"Thank goodness. Now we don't have to assume they've been _kidnapped_." He eyed Asahi.

"I-I said I was sorry!"

"That aside, I am very curious about this event. Shall we go too?"

Daichi wasn't sure. It all seems fishy to him, especially with the way it was announced and under such short notice. But he can't deny he's curious as well.

"Let's go see it. After that, we're cornering our teammates so they'll tell us about their disappearing act."

Asahi gave a nod and Suga grins.

When they arrived at the auditorium, the place was packed. It wasn't just students, some teachers were there too, much to their surprise. Thanks to Asahi's towering build, the three were able to move through with some ease. Still, there were too many people, and just when they were about to lose hope, they managed to spot Kiyoko in the crowd. Though she stood far from the attraction, her spot had a good view.

True to her word, their missing teammates could be seen at the very front row seats, watching the club perform. Daichi stared at them quizzically. Could they have been here the whole time? If so, then they must've known of this event from the start. Could this also explain Hinata's chipper mood? All these questions only supported the captain of the volleyball team with a headache. He's just glad to see them all okay and nothing serious happened.

The event in his opinion is pretty good. Amazing actually. The kid up there is a natural. No doubt if he keeps this up, there'll be a bright future ahead of him.

He feels Sugawara tug at his sleeve.

"Oi Daichi, isn't that Takeo-san?" He points to the dj on stage with the boy. Daichi raises his brows in surprise.

That does look like Takeo. He never would've expected him to be up there, much less be interested in music. In fact, none of his classmates knew much about the guy despite spending the first two years with him. He always keeps to himself, always sits at the back of the class. People like spreading rumors about him, one that's most popular is him secretly being a violent drug dealer. Most of them, including that particular one, he knew are false. It's because of his intimidating appearance and mysterious demeanor that people stay away from him.

He remembers one time him and Suga asked if he wanted to join the volleyball team, knowing his height and strength would be a good asset. Takeo politely declined, stating that he didn't have the time to join clubs. What's interesting about that moment was the dejected look on his face once he said it. Daichi always wondered what that look was for.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen him look so happy," he hears Suga, and he has to agree.

He doesn't know if it because he's in a club or if it's the music itself, but Daichi has never seen Takeo this happy. This alive. He could tell this was his calling, what he's wanted to do but was held back by unfortunate means.

"He's quite good isn't he?" he asks. Suga nods, smiling.

"He is. I'm happy for him."

"So am I."

* * *

The music ended and screams, cheers, and applauds erupted the room. Junichi jumped back, not expecting so many people here. He hadn't paid attention to the audience until he finished. He couldn't believe the plan worked. And he couldn't believe so many enjoyed it. He glanced at Harriet at the front and she was _beaming_ , clapping and whistling with Hinata and the others. That bald guy with them even threw his shirt off and is waving it in the air.

This was all too good to be true. He had to be dreaming, right? No one should be this enthusiastic over something he and his group threw together even if they worked hard on it.

A hand on his shoulder made the boy jump.

"You shouldn't just stand there Junichi." Takeo stood at his side. Hiroki and Masami had appeared from backstage and stood with them. The third year grinned. "Go give them our respect President."

Jun nods hesitantly and faces the crowd. The cheers had died down to a minimum. He cleared his throat.

"Greetings everyone, my name is Junichi Kenta, the club's founder," he speaks loudly to the audience. "Thank you for taking your time to come see us and we apologize for the inconvenience of it all. We call ourselves the Unlimited Sound Club. Our purpose is to simply create music in any way we can. We hope you enjoyed this for we plan to make more in the future. So," He bowed. "Please support us!"

"Please support us!" Hiroki, Masami, and Takeo chanted with him and bowed to the audience.

Another round of cheers erupted.

* * *

Of course their actions did not go unpunished. So say the vice principle was furious would be an understatement. The club was immediately ushered to his office, followed by their supervisor. Harriet did not hear from them since.

Again, thoughts of Jun and his club had distracted her from class lectures. The final bell made her realize she had just zoned out through class and made a face at the little scribbles on her notebook. She really needs to focus if she wants to go to Paris, or else she'll have to ask her classmates for notes and study sessions.

She shudders. That's something to worry about on a later date.

She packs her stuff, determined to meet up with Jun and assess the damage.

"Oi."

She freezes midway to the exit and mentally cursed to the heavens for thinking it's funny to have her in the same class as Tsukishima.

"What do you want now?" She did not have time for this.

It would seem that the tall blonde would rather be doing something else at the moment as well, but was apparently blocked from behind by Yamaguchi, staring intently at him. It was almost comical.

"About Saturday, there's usually practice that day until around evening. We can meet at the mall then."

Oh great, she's completely forgot about that! Well it's not like she's planned anything specifically since she is, at the moment, in debt to the boy. She is not looking forward to the weekend. After this, she vows to never misplace her stuff again.

"Fine, whatever," she shrugs. "Just show up."

She turns to leave, thinking that would be all he had to say.

"Your cousin's good by the way."

It was quick, faint, and could've been carried away by the wind, but she heard it. Oh yes, she's heard it. And she didn't know what to think of it.

"I know," she says, tone softer than she intended, not wanting to face him. Her expression might be too easy to read and she didn't really want to see his expression either.

Feeling awkward, not wanting to be in this room any longer, Harriet makes for the door and opens it. She nearly screeches at the sight of a looming face. She reels back, hitting the broad torso of the blond behind her.

A student stands at the door, looking like Armageddon.

Until he sees the girl's startled expression and his face rapidly shifts to dread.

"My apologies miss!" he bows. "It wasn't my intention to frighten you!"

"Um… it's cool." That's all she could say right now.

"What are you doing here Daichi?" Harriet stiffens, feeling the rumble of Tsukishima's chest as he speaks. She moves away, ignoring the heat slowly rising from her cheeks.

"Right," Daichi straightens up and stares pointedly at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. "You two are coming with me. You, as well as a few others, have some explaining to do."

Harriet sees color drain from both the boy's faces. It's like seeing two kids caught stealing sweets before dinner and were about to be reprimanded by their parents. She really wants to laugh right now, but that would be inappropriate.

She watches them slowly trudge out the classroom, appearing as if they're being sent to the guillotines. Daichi gave one last apologetic bow to her before he follows them out.

"Sure hate to be them right now," she mutters. That Daichi guy did not look like no pushover. Harriet wonders if he's their team captain. He sure fits the role as one.

"Oh well, I should meet up with Jun… that is, if he's still in one piece."

Turns out the boy managed to leave the office unscathed. He says the club only received detention and had to promise to next time seek approval from the school officials, and also for Hiroki to never hack into the school's system again.

Harriet arched her brow. "He let you off that easy?"

"I was surprised too. Ima-sensei did most of the taking for us. I didn't really understand much of what they were talking about, but for some reason, when she mentioned my dad's name the vice principle looked terrified."

"Huh? Of Uncle Kunio?"

"Yeah. Ima-sensei told me later that my dad had apparently said some things to him in regards to my time here at school. Though, she never told me what was said, only saying I shouldn't worry about it."

"...Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"Your dad is awesome."

The boy laughed. "I guess he is."

"You were awesome too you know."

Junichi stared. "Huh?"

"You heard me!" She gave a punch to his shoulder, making him wince. "Since when have you been able to play like that?! I thought I saw a completely different person!"

Jun rubbed his shoulder, his face reddening. "W-Well I did have some inspiration…"

Harriet thought back to what Hiroki mentioned earlier before the event started and it was her turn to blush.

"Hey, I've been thinking… about yesterday." Her eyes were set on the shrubs, trees, buildings, basically anything that wasn't her cousin's face. She could feel his eyes on her regardless.

"I'll give it a shot."

"R-Really?" She's still not looking at him but she feels warmth coming in his direction.

"I'm not promising anything! I'm just going to check it out. That's all."

"Of course Hari-chan! That's perfectly fine!"

Harriet huffs, trying to hide the warm icky gooiness she feels inside from seeing the look of happiness on Junichi's face as the two made their way home for the day.

 **AN: Hope this chapter was worth the wait. Also, if you haven't noticed the clues regarding the theme of the event, this was inspired by Lindsey Stirling's, Master of Tides. It's my absolute favorite out of all her works. Go check it out if you haven't seen it!**

 **Stay tuned and until next time!**


	7. Me Harriet, You Debbie

**AN: Nothing to say other than I made a new cover! Thanks for liking this story so far! Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: Me Harriet, You Debbie

After that incident in middle school, where I gloriously displayed by embarrassment on stage, that horror has followed me since. I didn't bother showing up to school the next day, or a few days after that. I just locked myself in my room, and during those few days, I never left. My mom would always worry (as expected), especially about my lack of food intake, and occasionally there would be shouting matches between us about me missing school for too long, despite Tia coming over every evening with notes for me to catch up on. Still, she never forced me out of bed and was instead patient in my moment of depression.

Because she understood. She may not be a musician herself (fashion is her line of business), but at least she understood. She understood about my undying passion for music, about the late nights I stayed up perfecting a verse, one after another, not stopping until I was satisfied or until she had to come up and remind me what time it is. She understood how much I look up to my father, how overly excited I get whenever he's home so he could grace me with his guitar lessons. She understood the feeling I get when after lessons he'd tell me how proud he was, how well I was improving, and in no time I'll one day reach to his level.

She understood how much that talent show meant to me, because it was when I get to showcase everything I learned. Everything I worked hard for. Music was my life. I couldn't live without it. I didn't want to live without it.

However, once my name was announced, and I was ushered to the stage, that was when I discovered my anxiety. I felt like I wanted to throw up. I couldn't stop shaking. The light in the audience was dark, and to me, the faces didn't look human. I couldn't even see my mother. All I saw were shadows with eyes locked onto me like I was an entre on display, ready to be devoured by whoever claims it first.

My mind blanked out. I couldn't recall anything as I stood dumbly in front of students, teachers, and parents. My mom. I knew I had to do something. I had to play. But it felt like everything I had prepared for suddenly vanished and my mind could focus on nothing but the hundreds of stares, the unwanted pressure weighing me down. This felt nothing like when I played for my parents, for Tia, for Jun, and sometimes Scott, my uncles, and other family members.

I finally managed to move my fingers. They were still shaking, making me mess up more times than I could accept and at that point I just wanted it to be over and done with. I didn't care anymore. When I was done, I walked out. I ignored the claps of pity support. I blocked everything out. Everything hurt and I felt like crying.

Not only did I embarrass myself, I felt like a mockery to my dad as well.

I couldn't sleep for a week. Whenever I tried, my dreams force me to relive that nightmare. Then I'd wake up and start crying.

One day, my dad showed up. It was out of the blue and unplanned because he currently had a busy schedule set in Nevada.

Since the talent show, the last thing I wanted was to face my father. I couldn't take the guilt, the shame, the disappointment that would be etched on his face once he found out I screwed up. That I let him down. I wasn't prepared for it.

What I had not prepared for was to be enveloped in his embrace the moment he sees me. Then he tells me to get ready because we're going out. Confused, did as told and he takes me to his car.

We arrive at Disneyland.

A whirlwind of emotions stirred within me, having not been there since getting to know Jun at the time when Adrian and Kunio were in engagement. And so, my dad sacrificed work to spend time with me at Disneyland on a school day. I wasn't gonna argue.

" _That was your first time on stage huh? Don't be bummed. First times are always hard. Scary even. Take it from me. Your father didn't become this awesome overnight. Me and my crew, we had our moments starting from where you are now. It may be even harder for you since you're not used to the attention. My advice, don't force yourself. Take your time; find your rhythm before you go on stage again. And I always say this, play for fun, not for the audience, not for the media. You don't owe them a god damn thing."_

Those were the words he told me as the two of us sat before the setting sun, decked in our Mickey Mouse hats and eating ice cream, waiting for the fireworks to erupt. It didn't take long before the dark sky exploded with color. I watched while clutching a plushie of Stitch in my arms as I sit in my father's lap, his arms around me and Stitch protectively. The times I spend where it's just me and my dad, I always feel better.

My anxiety didn't go away though, but it was something new. I find myself playing the guitar less and less, not as confident in my skills as I used to think. Tia got into a dancing program and begged me to tag along, too shy to go herself, and in high school, I selected dance as my extracurricular class with her too. It helped in a way. Dance helped me conquer my fear of the stage, mostly because I wasn't alone. I was with Tia and other dance crew members.

Still, whenever I attempt to play the guitar, the memory of the talent show always creeps back to my mind after being buried away so deep. So I silently vow to never play the guitar on stage again, in fear of the past repeating itself. I decided to live with the fact that I'll never be like my dad like this, to endure the pain that comes with it.

The dreams never came since that vow I made.

…

Later in Japan, the day after deciding to join Jun's club, that dream returned.

It was then I realized I made a terrible mistake. I wasn't ready.

I wasn't ready.

The phrase became a mantra in my head as I sat up in bed, breathing heavily.

I'm not ready.

I'm just not ready.

I don't want to go through that again.

Not again.

My breathing became sporadic, the talent show livid in my head like it just happened yesterday. I felt like a fish out of water, or a person about to drown. I curled up, gripping my hair as I forced myself to keep calm. I forced myself to think of other things. I had to remind myself that I'm not fully a member of Jun's club. Just an observer or something… Yeah.

A whine made me glance up from my fetal position. Miki sat across from me, whining and inching towards me, giving me gentle licks to my nose. I immediately felt guilt, reaching to hug her fluffy body.

"Sorry Miki. Did I wake you?" I murmured into her white coat, the anxious, trapped feeling in me ebbing away. Miki snuggled closer, loose fur flying all over me. I didn't mind. I was feeling better by the minute. "Sorry you had to see that. Let's keep this between us okay?"

Her soft bark made me smile.

I checked the time. It was super early, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So instead, I prepare myself for school. After getting dressed, I pause to stare at way lay resting against the wall in corner of my room.

Daisy, my newest electric guitar, a present that I got for Christmas last year, and Amour, my acoustic electric guitar that I had longer. Both of them were safely tucked inside their cases and were left in that spot since I moved in. I honestly can't remember the last time I held onto either of them.

I felt Miki watch me as I slowly pick up Amour and strap her over my shoulders. I sighed, then grabbed my school bag and left my room. I tiptoed out the halls, and hearing Miki's paws pad against the wooden floor behind me, I turned to her and pressed my finger to my lips. Once she understood and thankfully seeing no one was up at this time, I continued my silent trek down to the first floor.

"You be good okay Miki-chan?" I say as I give a kiss to her muzzle before exiting the music shop, heading straight for Karasuno.

As expected, the campus was empty. It was early after all, the sun barely beginning to rise. The quite was welcome though. It gives me time to myself as I think things over, figuring out what I'm going to do in the Unlimited Sound Club.

"I'm not a member," I mutter. "So I'm not anything important. That way, I won't be expected to do much. I haven't played in so long. I don't think my skills are that good anyway. Not compared to Jun's."

Yesterday Jun proved that his skills are in a completely different, higher caliber. It was amazing to watch him. I humored myself with the notion of what it would be like to play with him. What kind of music would we make together? With him and the rest of the club?

I quickly squished the thought, not wanting to get carried away.

The thought was stupid.

"Very stupid," I hissed, powerwalking to who knows where.

I stop, hearing the sound of sneakers nearby. To my left, there was a gym, lights on and door open. Huh. So I'm not alone after all. But who would be here this early? I know that clubs have morning practices, but that's an hour later.

So, bored and with nothing to do, I decide to check it out. I creep towards the open door and peer inside. I see a volleyball court and inside, I saw two familiar faces. I grin, suddenly not feeling so bored anymore. Plus, my thoughts were starting to bug me.

"Hinata! Kageyama!"

The two paused in their workout. Hinata slipped and fell on his face in the middle of his serve. I winced at the impact.

Maybe that was a bit much.

Before I had time to even worry for his safety, the small boy leapt back up like a jack in the box.

"Hari-chan!" his smile beaming while there was a red blotch marking his forehead.

"Are you okay buddy?" I had to ask. "Didn't hit your head too hard?"

"He's fine. He hits his head too many times for it to affect him," Kageyama tells me. "Besides, there's nothing in there worth salvaging anyway."

"Oi! I don't hit my head too many times!" Hinata protested.

"You just rammed your bike to the pole this morning! Twice!"

Ouch.

Seriously, how is this kid walking?

"I-It was an accident!"

"Those weren't accidents! That's just you being a dumbass, Dumbass!"

"Like you're any better Kageyama!"

I feel like I should say something or else this will never stop. I clear my throat.

"So do you two always come here this early?"

That did the trick.

"Yeah, we always come here around this time to practice," Hinata answers. "Do you always come here early as well?"

"Nah, just today. Couldn't sleep." That wasn't a lie apparently…

Hinata's mouth formed and 'o' in understanding.

"Is that a guitar?" the ravenhead asked, peering to get a better look at the cloth case around my shoulders.

"You are correct sir. I just thought I'd bring Amour today."

"Amu?" Hinata cocked his head to the side.

"No _Amour_. It's French." I shook my head. "Anyway, that's what I named her."

"People name inanimate objects?" Kageyama raised a brow.

I shrug. "I do."

"I see."

Then he stares down at the volleyball in his hands like it would give him the answers to the great mysteries of the universe if he squints hard enough. Or something. I have no idea what he's thinking.

"Then can this volleyball have a name?"

…

…

No. Really, I literally have nothing.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" And Hinata is with him on this. "But, we can't name just this volleyball. It wouldn't be fair to the other volleyballs we have!"

"That's true. And we have a lot. That means we need a lot of names. But how do we tell one from the other?"

"We can write it on them with a marker!"

"Uh hold up. Time out." I say quickly, feeling my brain would melt if I listen to this any longer. "That's not how it works."

That earned me confusing stares and I sigh.

"It's like this," I continue. "Amour is a special guitar to me. She was a present from my father before I started middle school. She was a little big for me then so I could only hold onto smaller guitars until I was old enough. Still, this guitar was custom made and has my name engraved on her. I call her Amour for many reasons. Acoustic guitars are great for playing romantic songs so… yeah. There you have it."

I feel like I said too much, more that I'm supposed to. The stares I am given now are different. Their eyes looked glassy and I had to stare at the wall. My jaw clenched.

"My point is you don't name every single inanimate object that exists! It'll only be a waste if you do something like that."

The two gave a nod, finally understanding. I was greatly relieved.

"Wait," Hinata perked up. "Does this mean you're joining Kenta-kun's club?"

I find myself staring at the wall again. "Sort of. Not really. I mean, I'm not as talented as Jun, but I am… decent I guess."

Lies.

"So what skills are you trying to perfect now?" I kept a straight face while trying to change the subject. Can you blame me?

Kageyama stared but luckily, Hinata took the bait.

"Serves, but I really wanna continue spiking!" The ginger boy pouts and glares at Kageyama. "I want to but Kageyama won't give me any tosses."

"I'm mad at you." He says simply.

"For what?!"

"Because you had to drag me to that event yesterday! Because of that, Daichi was furious and forced us into power exercises until we passed out!"

Hinata's brows furrowed. "It wasn't that bad. You took it pretty well from what I saw."

The taller boy was fuming, his face looking like a tea kettle that had been left on the fire for too long and you think it might explode at any second. Instead, he stomps away, poor volleyball clutched tightly in his fingers as he mutters curses and the occasional 'dumbass' here and there.

"Kageyama! Oi Kageyama!" Hinata calls after him. He pouts again when he finds he's being ignored. "I want tosses…"

I had to giggle at that. He's acting like a child denied of something he wants.

"Well lucky for you, I have nothing to do until class starts. So allow me the honor of tossing for you." I winked. "Just don't expect anything fancy."

The boy literally leaped for joy at my offer. "I'll accept any toss! Anything! Thank you, thank you Hari-chan!"

"I'm feeling generous today. And of course I'd do anything for you Hinata-chan~"

I inwardly laughed at his red face. Seriously, it's like he's never been hit on by a girl before.

Maybe he hasn't. That's no good. Looks like it's up to me to teach him the ways of flirtation! He's gonna need it.

Not like he'll know these are lessons.

I am so evil.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get in position so I'll toss!"

"R-Right!"

Hinata hurries off to one side of the court, Kageyama busy doing his own thing on the other side, and I grabbed a ball from the basket.

Just throw tosses. Simple enough. I know how that works. I'm not completely clueless at volleyball, just never took it seriously. Still, it'd be a little bland if I just simply throw tosses. In volleyball, you always prepare for the unexpected. Things don't go the way you want them to.

So…

"Alright Hinata, I'm gonna toss at the count to three. Got it?"

"Got it!" he yelled, knees bent and hunched over in position. Face lax and eyes focused.

"One…"

"Two."

I toss the ball before three and from where it momentarily stayed airborne, it'll be too far for any normal spiker to run and hit it in ti-

 _SMACK!_

 _BOOM!_

…

Huh?

I barely blinked and in no time, Hinata was landing on the ground, the ball rolling away at the other side of the net.

Just what the actual-

"One more!" He shouts and I jump.

"Uh…"

At the corner of my eye could I see Kageyama smirk in a way that said 'He's your problem now'.

Right, he's a setter. He deals with this constantly. Doesn't mean he has to act smug about it! So I didn't know what I got myself into. Big deal!

"Fine, I'll give you more tosses! Just don't think I'll go easy on you this time!"

And Hinata just looks like a little boy about to open his presents on Christmas day.

"Okay!"

This kid is something else.

Time ticks by as I continue to give Hinata tosses while he spikes with that quick agility I've never seen before. He's fast. Like _super-fast_. And true to his word, he can jump really high. It makes up for his stature by a margin. It's kind of endearing watching him. He's like a soaring bird.

"One more!"

Also his stamina is unrelenting.

I laugh a little. "Geez, are you sure you don't want to take a breather? Aren't you a bit tired?"

Because just watching him makes me feel tired for him.

Hinata just shakes his head like a shaggy dog.

"Please Hari-chan? One more toss!"

"That's enough stupid!"

A ball flies and smacks Hinata at the side of his head.

Kageyama comes to my rescue. "Dumbass! Your serves still suck! And your receives! Work on those!"

Hinata juts his lower lip and gives him the puppy eyes, but Kageyama's face remains hard as steel. And ominous, in such a way that Hinata cowers a little and like a kicked puppy, gives in and does as told.

Poor boy.

"Aren't you treating your subjects a bit too harshly King?"

And just when I was starting to have a good day, Tukishima arrives to ruin it with his presence. Yamaguchi's there, snickering beside him.

Something about what he said made Kageyama respond with a harsh "Shut up!" while looking more petrifying than when he was reprimanding Hinata.

"Wah! So scary Kageyama! You'll scare away girls with that face!" the blond teased.

"Well I'm here and I find it rad."

Yeah he makes some good scary faces.

Wait.

Dammit!

"Thompson?" The two notice my presence in the gym.

Fuuuuuck!

"Hi Thompson-san," Yamaguchi waved cheerily. "What brings you here?"

I cross my arms, shrugging. Playing it cool. "Well, I was giving Hinata tosses earlier and now I'm just about to leave."

Yup. So cool.

"What? Already?" For some reason, Hinata deflates at that. "But school won't start yet in another hour. You can stay and help me practice!"

Now he's giving me the puppy eyes! Be strong Harriet! Be strong!

"Maybe some other time." I ruffle his head. "You don't need an amateur like me to help you practice anyway. I will say you've surprised me today. You're doing good Hinata-chan. Keep it up!"

The way he stares at me makes me feel like a proud sister. If I could I would adopt this child.

"I will!"

Tsukishima makes a face. "Gross. You know there's a supply closet right there. No one wants to see that."

"T-Tsukki!" Yamaguchi berates.

Hinata's face flushes while I raise a brow, my mouth set in a thin line.

"You know, you really are a Debbie Downer," I say suddenly. "Is that what you are Debbie? A downer?"

The room is silent at my words, however I just reached an epiphany.

I hit my fist on my palm, grin rivaling the infamous Cheshire Cat.

"Everyone shut up, I just struck genius!"

I point at the tall blonde.

"You. From now on I shall call you Debbie. The Debbie Downer!"

The face he makes is priceless and I feel like cackling madly.

"D-Debbie…"

"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think so Debbie?"

The others, even Yamaguchi, were trembling. Lips tight try to stifle a laugh. I think Kageyama is enjoying himself the most.

Tsukishima's brow twitched, his form stiff.

"Please. Stop."

"Too late, the witch has spoken. Your name is now Debbie. See you in class Debbie!" I say, collecting Amour and my bag, right when the other three boys double over, crying in fits of laughter.

Isn't it nice when you spread joy to the hearts of others?

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week! Stay beautiful~" I salute with a wink before leaving the volleyball court, the cries of laughter music to my ears as I carry along outside.

...

Later, I find myself on the roof.

There was still time left before school starts.

I sat silently, Amour in my hands, her light weight resting on my lap. The blue paintjob shines brightly from the steadily rising sun. My fingers ghost over the strings nervously.

Finally I play some notes. The familiar sounds soothe me a little. I mess around until I finally feel comfortable enough playing a song.

My fingers strum the strings for the intro, soft and melodic. Soon it was my cue to sing the begging verse.

" _Well, maybe I'm a crook for stealing your heart away  
Yeah, maybe I'm a crook for not caring for it  
Yeah, maybe I'm a bad, bad, bad, bad person  
Well, baby, I know._

 _And these fingertips  
Will never run through your skin  
And those bright blue eyes  
Can only meet mine across the room filled with people that are less important than you."_

Feeling carried away by the music, my voice picks up.

" _'Cause you love, love, love  
When you know I can't love  
You love, love, love  
When you know I can't love  
You love, love, love  
When you know I can't love you…"_

I breathe, and then stare down at Amour. I smile without really knowing why.

Acoustic guitars really are great for romantic songs.

 **AN: Haha Tsukki is now Debbie. Now you know what the title is referring to. I feel so proud of myself.**

 **Again, unbetaed, blah blah blah, you know the drill. Hope you like this bit! Let me know! And more to come soon~**

 **Oh also, the song Harriet is singing is Of Monsters and Men's "Love Love Love", one of my favorites.**


	8. I just IDK

**AN: Hello again! Here with an update! I'm more proud of this one because Yachi gets more screen-time finally! And with it, comes more Yamaguchi and wow, I never realized how hard I ship this couple till now... Oh well, read and enjoy!**

Chapter 8: This Chapter is Really Just a Jumble of Cuteness and Funnies so I Don't Know

"You know you didn't really need to do this Yachi," Yamaguchi tries to reassure the team manager.

"PLEASE TAKE IT!" she screeched so loud it could be heard for miles, her upper body bowed to a perfect forty-five degree angle while shaking like a leaf. No doubt her eyes were at a verge of tears.

This is what Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were greeted to before morning practice officially began, minutes after Harriet's visit. Yachi Hitoka speed over to them shoving bags of cookies she made into their arms and barreled apologies at them before either of them could get a word in. Tsukishima remained collected despite the assault, whereas Yamaguchi was having a near panic attack.

It didn't help that the rest of the team were present, watching the spectacle.

"It's not fair that you two had to go through punishment when it was I who convinced us to go," she continues somberly. "I couldn't handle the guilt."

"B-But you made up for it by volunteering to clean up the court!" Yamaguchi reasoned.

"But you volunteered to stay and help me, which only made me feel worse!"

At this point the petrified Yamaguchi silently reached to his best friend for help. Tsukishima only shrugs.

"Just make your girlfriend happy and accept it."

Sometimes Yamaguchi ponders the choice of friends he makes throughout his life. This is one of those times.

Thankfully Kiyoko steps in to save him, patting Yachi on the shoulder. "I think you've done more than enough. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima are very grateful for the gift. Isn't that right?"

"Of course we are!" Yamaguchi said quickly and had to elbow-jab the tall blonde's ribs in order for him to respond as well.

Despite the pointed glare he receives from him, the happy smile shown on Yachi's face was well worth it.

From there, practice continued on like usual for the Karasuno volleyball team, at least for a while. One should take into account that fights and squabbles is a common and (unfortunately) unavoidable occurrence within the team.

This time it's between Kageyama and Tsukishima. No surprise.

Everyone knows how this goes. Something happens that brings the blond to say one of his snarky comments and in turn, riles up the setter. It goes back and forth and eventually, someone would have to intervene or else Kageyama would blow a fuse and would attempt to tear Tsukishima limb from limb.

To everyone's surprise, that's not how it went in the end.

Because in the end, after Tsukishima calls him by the cursed nickname, King, Kageyama appears to lose it for about three seconds before stopping and contemplating something. He just stands there and contemplates real hard while staring at the blonde. Nobody knows how to react to this, not even Tsukishima.

"What?" he asks, fed up with the staring.

The setter says nothing to him. Instead he faces Hinata who stood nearby.

"Hey, which do you think is worse, having King as a nickname or Debbie?"

Tsukishima tensed.

"Hmm, well to me King is an awesome nickname to have while Debbie just sounds embarrassing. Imma go with Debbie," Hinata answers thoughtfully.

Kageyama nods. "Thought so."

Another thing that should be taken to account when on the Karasuno volleyball team,

Mayhem.

Simple as that.

"Oi oi! What are you two talking about?" asks Tanaka.

"Yeah, where did Debbie come from?" Nishinoya followed.

Alarm bells were blasting in all of Tsukishima's sensors, if the mischievous glint in Kageyama's blue orbs were anything to go by.

' _Let's see how you like it?'_ those eyes read.

"Thompson-san gave Tsukishima that nickname not too long ago," he explained.

"Because he's a Debbie Downer!" Hinata shouted.

"Thompson-san?" Tanaka muddled.

"Oh! You mean that scary chick who almost murdered Tsukishima yesterday?" asked Nishinoya, ignoring the strangled gasps from Asahi, Sugawara, and Daichi. "She's calling him Debbie now?"

Kageyama and Hinata gave a nod to both questions and as expected, the second years were on the floor, laughing like hyenas. Much to Tsukishima's displeasure.

"Oh my god, why haven't we thought of that?!" Tanaka barked between laughs.

"I dunno but that chick is a mad genius!"

"She's not a genius," Tsukishima muttered, scowl marring his face. "She's an immature nuisance. The type I'm unfortunately surrounded by on a near daily basis."

"Something tells me you wouldn't say that to her face or else you _will_ get murdered," says Kageyama.

"With all due respect your majesty, but could you please _shut up_?"

"That's enough all of you!"

The group jumped at Sugawara's voice and shivered at his wide smile that did not express anything close to happiness.

"There will be no more discussions of murder in this court. Everyone back to practice."

They didn't need to be told twice. Sugawara could be just as frightening as Daichi.

…

After practice Yamaguchi and Yachi stood outside the clubrooms, patiently waiting for Tsukishima to join them before they head to class. Apparently Sugawara, the worried mother hen he is, had cornered the middle blocker to ask if everything is alright between him and this girl who apparently wants to 'murder' him and to be assured that the word 'murder' is not at all in a literal sense.

"I wonder why those two aren't getting along so well," Yachi mutters while her fingers lace with Yamaguchi's, an act that has developed by instinct during their time together. "I mean, neither of them appear as social so you'd expect they'd avoid each other, not fight."

Yamaguchi nods. "Tsukki really isn't a social person, neither is Thompson-san. I was surprised too, the way they interacted yesterday." What happened yesterday made him think back to why Tsukishima had him return the missing phone to her instead of doing it himself. At first, Yamaguchi thought it was just Tsukishima being... well Tsukishima and didn't question it. Then he thought of Thompson's first day in class, where Tsukishima turned pale out of nowhere. After the event, moments after the clash, Yamaguchi cornered the blonde and demanded an explanation. "Apparently, Tsukki met Thompson-san last Sunday, a day before she attended our school. He wanted to buy a CD she was going buy and decided to act rude in order to get it. He didn't think it'd be a big deal."

Yachi giggled at Yamaguchi's exasperated sigh, her thumb rubbing circles on the back of his palm. "And he never would've expected that a day later, he'd meet her again as his new classmate."

"I told him that was karma just to spite him," he grinned. "Because as much as I adore our friendship, he really did deserve that."

Tsukishima appeared minutes later, looking ready to end the world.

"So how did it go?" Yamaguchi asked as the three walked together, him and Yachi still holding hands.

"Horrible. Suga and Daichi deduced that I'm having girl problems and suggest I talk to her."

"Daichi was there to?"

"Unfortunately."

Yamaguchi could imagine how awkward it must've been for him to receive girl advice from two of his seniors. "So are you?"

Tsukishima fixed him a glare and said, "I'm not going anywhere near that vulture."

"You can't do that!"

Yamaguchi was surprised to find that come out from Yachi as she stood in front of Tsukishima, her small form shacking because of the middle blocker's intimidating height, but she held her ground.

"Don't forget, this all started because you were mean to her before she attended school! It's your fault so you have to apologize!"

Tsukishima stared down at her, eyebrows raised and utterly speechless, and the silence made Yachi tremble even more, thinking she may have gone too far and stepped on personal boundaries.

"I… I mean-"

"Who told you that?" He didn't sound mad. It was just a simple question, but the question made the couple jerk. It was enough for the blonde to catch on and glare at Yamaguchi again.

"C-Come on Tsukki, we're together now," he reasoned. "I can't keep everything from her."

"Is that so," Tsukishima muttered darkly. "Then why don't you tell her about the time you mistook a condom for gum and-"

"I was nine!" Yamaguchi shouted, face turning scarlet. "And I told you we don't talk about that! Ever!"

"What? I feel Yachi needs to know who she's dealing with."

Poor Yamaguchi groaned, his face buried in his palms. Yachi, despite her cheeks turning just as red, reached up to reclaim the freckled boy's hand in her own.

"It's okay Yamaguchi. When I was twelve, the kids at my school asked if I was a virgin. I didn't know what the term meant so thinking it must've meant something bad I said no…" Her mouth twisted painfully recalling the memory. "Rumors began spreading because of that."

Yamaguchi tightened his grip on their joint hands. "That's horrible."

She laughed. "The teachers were able to put a stop to it so it's fine, but had to call my mom and she had to explain to me what a virgin is. It was very awkward."

"My mother caught me and had to explain that condoms are not for eating and tried not to go into detail when I asked her what it's for."

"That's it. I'm done. I can't deal with this." Tsukishima left the couple, his hands raised in defeat. "If you're going to talk about awkward sex stories, do it when I'm not present."

"You're the one who brought up the subject!" Yamaguchi shouted at his back. The couple snickered and moved to catch up with the unfortunate blonde.

…

"HARRIET!"

Minutes before class officially started, more than half the class present were greeted with the sight of Junichi Kenta, the star performer of yesterday's club event, storm into the room, face hot with anger while his target attempted to appear as small and unnoticeable as possible in her desk.

Because he was at a safe distance, Tsukishima could laugh at the girl's despair as she was given an earful from her cousin for leaving home early without anyone's knowledge. He then proceeds to give her a bento lunch she forgot to take with her while still talking his mouth off and forced her to promise to never scare the family like that again. She grumbles in response, likely an apology because Kenta seemed satisfied enough and he wasn't yelling anymore.

The tension simmered down, and the two were just talking. Onlookers went back to their business and Tsukishima grew bored, finding nothing interesting happening between them. He then caught the boy motioning towards Thompson's guitar case and suddenly started talking enthusiastically. Tsukishima continues to watch despite himself, noticing the way the girl tries to match Kenta's spirit, but just looks subdued.

When Kenta left, Thompson remained quiet. She's always quiet, never really speaking to anyone other than the teacher when called on. But this type of quiet seemed different to Tsukishima. The best way he could describe it, seeing her stare at her guitar and then out the window, was that she seemed… empty.

"Are you alright Tsukki? You're spacing out."

"I'm fine." He turns away quickly before Yamaguchi could pinpoint what he's staring at. If he finds out, he'll try to get him to 'talk to her' and 'apologize' again. And if there's one thing Tsukishima is known for, it's that he's never apologetic.

Especially towards demonic vultures who call him Debbie.

Debbie…

He shivers. Just the sound of it pisses him off. That's the type of name given to pets. And Tsukishima is **no** pet.

Yup, that demon disguised as a foreign female student deserves no apologies from him, and no one, not even Yamaguchi and Yachi, is going to convince him otherwise.

* * *

"Um Yachi-san, is it alright if I borrow your highlighters?"

"Oh! Sure, go ahead!"

Masami raised a brow. "You forgot yours again Kenta-kun?"

"I-I was in a hurry this morning!"

"And pretty soon you're going to forget your brain."

"Don't be like that…" Junichi pouted.

"Sometimes you're just as bad as Hiroki-sempai."

"That's going too far!"

Masami smirked and Yachi giggled. The three were in a group together for an in-class assignment. At first, when the teacher announced this, Yachi didn't know who she should assemble with, not really knowing anybody in her class except for Orabella Masami, who she knew back in middle school.

The two never talked much, but Masami had always been nice to her, even shielded her away from bullies in junior high. Still Yachi never considered her as a friend because like Kiyoko, Yachi feels Masami to be way out of her league. From her first year in middle school, Orabella Masami was a model student. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, talented, wealthy, half-Italian, and cute as a doll, students and teachers adored her. Like her first meeting with Kiyoko, Yachi believes that if an average girl like her befriends Masami, other students would set out to hunt for her head.

So imagine her surprise when she was given an invite by Masami and her other classmate, Junichi Kenta, to their secret club event two days ago. And today, immediately after the teacher tells the students to get in groups of three, Masami stands, drags Kenta by the sleeve and makes a beeline to Yachi's desk.

"Pardon me Yachi-chan, may we join your group?" she asks politely.

"That is, if you don't mind," Kenta quickly adds.

Yachi tries her very best to avoid the many pairs of eyes on them while nodding stupidly, her voice unable to function at the moment. And that's how she finds herself in this predicament, being paired with a model student and a gifted musician. It was a dangerous situation to be in and Yachi fears she may not make it home alive.

And yet as they continue to work together, she was able to warm up to them easily. Kenta was a kindhearted gentleman and acts shy whenever he's given compliments. Masami was also kind, at times impassive and earnest. For someone who's always obedient and follows school rules as if they're the Ten Commandments, Masami surprised everyone with her involvement in the Unlimited Sound Club and graciously accepted the consequences for hosting and unauthorized event. Yachi has never seen her do something so bold and risky.

"So I hear you're club manager for the boys' volleyball club," she says. "How is it?"

"Well…" the blonde chuckles nervously. "It wasn't my first choice. I didn't know which club I wanted to be in. I'm still learning the ropes and though at first it was a scary experience, it's really fun and I got to learn so much about volleyball!"

Masami smiles at her. "That's good to hear. I'm glad high school's going well for you Yachi-chan."

Yachi's face heats up at the kind words, still confused as to why she's being so friendly towards her. She decides not to dwell on it for now.

"S-Speaking of which, I've been wondering, what made you want to join a music club? Since middle school, you were always selected as head of the student council. Were you not asked this year?"

"I was actually, but I refused," Masami responded. Then her smile became something that had a hidden meaning when saying her next words. "As for why I took interest in Kenta-kun's club, let's just say I want things to be different from now on."

Obviously, that confused her, not having any idea what she could mean by that. She turns to Kenta, hoping he may have a clue. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Your guess is as good as mine Yachi-san, but we're glad to have her. She's a great pianist and I introduced her to the keytar. She fell in love with it right away and she's a really quick learner- _OUCH!_ Masami-chan why did you kick me?!"

"By the way, Hari-chan is now joining us," she says casually, as if she hadn't just kicked Junichi under the joint desks.

"Oh, that's your cousin right Kenta-san?" Yachi asks. "I didn't know she plays instruments too!"

"Yeah, she plays the guitar," Kenta says while rubbing his shin. "She's really good at it too, but…"

Yachi tilts her head. "What is it?"

"Well, she's just having a few setbacks, but with all of us here to support her, it should be fine. That's what I'm hoping for anyway." He laughs. "The event yesterday helped with that."

"You were really amazing Kenta-san."

They boy blushes spectacularly and rubs his neck, eyes fixed to the papers on his desk.

"Aha, I wasn't that great. I couldn't be without Takeo-san- _OW!_ Stop kicking me!"

Masami sighs. "Why must we have such a frail president?"

Junichi slams his head on the desk. "Now I know how Hiroki feels…" he groans.

Yachi could not contain her giggles. If the class was staring at them again, she paid them no mind.

* * *

At lunchtime, Harriet snuck her way to the roof again. The last time she stumbled upon it, the door to the outside had been locked and didn't appear to have been used for a long time, or has been used very little. However, the lock equipped looked new in contrast to the old wooden door itself. She found it odd. It did nothing to stop her though. It's just like her old school and she's learned to pick locks at an early age. Not for anything bad, only if it's really necessary.

Yes, breaking into the instructor's desk to retrieve her 3DS because her douche of a math teacher confiscated it was extremely necessary, but we're getting off topic here.

The roof is nice. The roof is empty of other students, so she figured it'd be a good spot for a hideout. Once Jun announced that the club will be having practice afterschool, Harriet felt the need to come here again.

"Dammit, fuck!" she cursed when she messed up again on a rather complicated set of notes. She grips the end of her guitar and forced her breathing to calm.

She has practiced the moment she settled herself on the roof, her lunch Junichi brought for her long forgotten in her bag. Every time she makes a mistake, she grows more and more frustrated; her plays get more aggressive, causing her to make even more mistakes. Eventually, she stops, screams more curses and tugs at her hair.

She did fine before, how come she's sucking so bad now?

"You need to stop straining yourself. You'll only accomplish so little."

Harriet jumps up and reels around, shocked to find anyone else up here other than herself. She was even more shocked to see it was one of the Unlimited Sound club members, Kazuhiko Takeo.

Tall as he is, with the strength that could take on ten men, intimidating in every way, Takeo looked sheepish as he came out from the darkness of his hiding spot, notebooks and lunch in hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," he apologized. "I honestly didn't know you'd be here, and I couldn't help listening to you practice, thus invading your privacy. You have every right to be upset."

Harriet's shoulders slumped. Sure, when she first met him she was surprised to find his personality not matching his appearance. This however, she did not expect. Who would've thought that underneath all that muscle was a young man just as gentlemanly as Jun?

Takeo must've taken the stunned silence as a bad sign, for he quickly said, "I can leave if you want."

"No!" That sounded way too high a squeaky and she blushed. "I mean, it's fine. I'm not mad. Embarrassed yes, but not mad."

Takeo still wasn't sure. "The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable so-"

"Oh my god just shut up and sit!" She rolls her eyes and sits back down. Takeo caught her mutter "I swear you're just like Jun…" which made him smile a bit as he accepts the invitation, sitting near her but giving enough personal space between them.

The silence was deafening and for a while, neither of them knew what to say or if they should even speak at all. Takeo scratched into one of his notebooks while Harriet fiddles idly with Amour.

"You know, this rooftop was easily accessible to students years back," Takeo broke the silence. Harriet was grateful. She glanced up, looking somewhat interested. "Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. Karasuno holds many dark secrets, this one being the number of accidents and suicides it underwent. The numbers were… atrocious, and some say that coming up here brings bad luck and you risk cutting your life short. That was a long time ago, and the school was good at covering it up since."

"Sounds like something straight from a novel," Harriet quips, grinning. "And despite knowing all that, you still come here?"

The third-year shrugs. "This place may have had a bad history, but I've made visits here since my first year. I only knew about that story recently from Hiroki. Trust me, I didn't want to believe him, but the documents he was able to squander out states otherwise."

"Don't forget, it's also where we first met~"

Takeo sighs. "Speak of the devil…"

Harriet spots Saru Hiroki at the door, grin big and filled with mirth as he waltz his way over to them.

"Indeed this school holds many secrets and this one was one of my favorites when I was a first year," he continues. "When I discovered it, I immediately wanted to come here. You know, to see if the area was haunted or if it's laced with a curse that rubs off on you if you enter. Instead, I got Takeo-kun!"

"And in the end, I was cursed," he mutters. Hiroki pouts. He ignores it. "What are you doing here?"

"You wound me Sempai," he makes a dramatic show of a fallen maiden.

" _Saru…_ "

The maroon-head chuckles. "Oh alright. Well, Kenta-chan is being a worrywart again, unable to find his precious Hari-chan~" Harriet's face reddens at the second year's choice of words. "So he asked me for help and my first thought was to come see you. And lo and behold, here she is! Hari-chan, you need to stop giving our president a heart attack. If we lose him, then I'm afraid you'll have to take his position."

Her eyes became saucers. "W-What?! But… I can't-"

"Then be a good girl and don't go running off okay?" Hiroki winks and takes his leave. "I'm going back to Kenta-chan now so he can breathe normally again. See you in practice!"

Hiroki disappears and Takeo sees Harriet shaking in fear. He sighs again.

"Don't mind him. He has a habit of getting under peoples' skin. You won't be president if you don't want to."

She sighs in relief and chuckles. "That guy is quite something isn't he?"

Takeo nods. "As someone who's known him the longest, he's a handful, a thorn to one's side, and a bug that won't die no matter how many times you try to kill it. If you get passed the annoyance and his troublemaking ways, he's actually helpful, loyal, and all around a good person. That is between you and me by the way."

"My lips are sealed."

"Thanks."

Silence reappears between them, again not knowing what to say. Curious, Harriet decides to peek at what the taller teen's been writing in his notebooks.

Music notes. She then remembers the supervisor, Ima-sensei, mention that the song performed was composed by Takeo.

"One of the reasons why I come here is to come up with fresh ideas." Harriet tenses for being caught, but Takeo didn't seem to mind, probably because he did the same to her earlier. "Life is always… busy for me. I rarely get time where it's just myself and my thoughts. I've always loved mixing sounds together. I don't know why, it's just something I love doing."

"You must be quite the star then, with talent like that," she says, quirking a smile. "You've probably been asked to join many clubs."

Takeo's writing stops.

"I have actually, but not for reasons you think. I've always been asked to join sports clubs because of my physique. No one knows of my skills, my passion for music, until yesterday." He gazes listlessly at the paper below him. "Since middle school, I've never joined a single club."

"What?" Harriet stares up at him, dumbfounded. "How come?"

"Like I said, life is busy for me. I'm always needed at home." He doesn't face her, but Harriet could see the way his fist tightens around the pen in his hand. "This will be my last year in high school and this will be my first club. I want to make this last while I still have this chance."

"Takeo…" She couldn't find any words to say. Only questions filled her mind, such as why he couldn't join any clubs when he clearly wants to, but that would be diving into something personal and she could tell Takeo isn't in the mood for sharing. She can understand that, being in the same boat herself. She stares down at his notebooks again.

"Hey…" she says thoughtfully. "Got anything in there I can try out?"

Whatever Takeo expected her to say, it certainly wasn't that, but he seemed thankful for the subject change and fished through his other notebooks.

"There are a few for guitars I made… though none of them are finished."

She grins. "Don't care. Hand'em over big guy."

Harriet didn't know what she was thinking when she proposed this, but finding it too late to chicken out, she just went with it. The rest of their lunch break consisted of her playing the notes Takeo provided, Takeo contemplating, at times tweak a few sections and have her play again until he likes what he hears.

And Harriet wasn't afraid. It's her first time playing in front of a complete stranger, and she wasn't afraid like she thought she would. She was enjoying herself immensely and loved the melodies Takeo had written out. She even helps him by coming up with a few ideas of her own on Amour, which he appreciates and finds helpful, and lunchtime ends way too quickly.

"Here, I want you to have this." Takeo hands her a silver key. "I installed a new lock during my first year here. I have a spare so you can have this one. Come by anytime you like."

Harriet grins up at him and nods, storing her key in her keychain. "Thanks Takeo-sempai. You may not know this, but this has helped me a lot. Just wanted to say that."

"I'm glad I can help then," he smiles back. "So will I be seeing you in practice afterschool then?"

Her expression becomes that of a sly fox. "You'll also be seeing me more on the roof too. I should warn you though, I can be just as bad as Hiroki, _Take-chan_ ~"

Takeo slumps, appearing to have many second thoughts on the choices he's made.

"I really am cursed…"

 **TBC**

 **Thank you for reading this, thank you for your patience, thank you for liking this, and just thank you in general :D**


	9. Not a Date

**AN: Hooray Spring Break has finally begun for me! So what a perfect way to start it off by posting a new chapter! I felt sick earlier and just didn't want to do anything, but I'm almost better now.**

 **Also in case you haven't noticed yet, I edited chapter two in the section discussing Tia's sexuality. I've been wanting to change it and now I have! I've explained my reasoning for this change in more depth in that chapter so make a quick stop there if you can! In the meantime, enjoy!**

Chapter 9: Not a Date

Tsukishima will admit that he's a complicated person. He's also aware of his actions toward the people he meets.

He knows he's rude. He knows he's cynical. He knows he's not the nicest, most confiding person to walk the planet, that he's also a bit of a sadist, taking joy in other people's suffering for his own entertainment.

And yes, he knows these traits aren't what most people would look for in a friend. To that, he'd say he's pretty much okay with it, never the type who's social to begin with. Besides, he finds that too many friends, having to be around them constantly, would only give him a headache.

The volleyball team is a good example. Not that he's friends with any of them, except for Yamaguchi. Yachi is okay, but only because Yamaguchi is in a relationship with her so he has to tolerate her.

That's just the kind of person Tsukishima Kei is.

Still, discourteous as he is, there's always a line drawn. He respectful towards his seniors, he's mean but not cruel, and anyone who's either suspicious, dangerous, or just gives off a bad vibe that would make the tall blonde uncomfortable, he stays away from them, wanting nothing to do with them.

Unfortunately, that line was crossed with Harriet Thompson. From the get-go, he knew she was bad news and knew she's the kind of person he wouldn't be able to handle. But she was also a stranger, and usually with strangers, you only meet them once with a rare chance of meeting them a second time. On Sunday, it was all fair game for him to claim that CD by any means possible and not suffer the consequences in the future.

That's what he hoped for.

But that's not what he got.

Some deity up there really wanted to make his life shit by having that same girl appear the next day at his school, not only as a new student, but also as his classmate. When Yamaguchi told him that was karma, he really wanted to punch him.

That girl however seemed to want to do more than just punch him whenever they encounter. The past week had been hell. Moments like these he wishes he could change his snarky behavior, or just shut up entirely, because for some reason he couldn't whenever he faces her, resulting in adding dangerous amounts of fuel to the fire. Let's just say he had many close calls from her occurring wrath.

Friday was the worst however. So many scenarios happened, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

On campus, an idiot first year, one of those giant rebel punks that think they're all high and mighty, apparently knows how to speak English _and_ knows just what to say to hit on an American girl. As Harriet walked by, he calls to her saying, and these were the exact words Tsukishima heard,

" _Hey baby! Come here! Bring that hot ass over here!"_

As you can see, his sources could only have been from very distasteful Western films on the internet. Or Western porn. That's a close second.

Also his English was terrible.

Of course most students may have gotten the 'Hey baby! Come here!' part, but not the rest. Tsukishima could bet that almost no one knew exactly what he said, but can assume that what he said must not be good at all.

One clue would be the creepy smug grin the asshat wore on his face. Another bigger clue would be the way Harriet halted in her tracks. And just stood there. Silent. A dark air clouded around her, foreboding and probably suffocating to be close to.

That should be enough of a warning sign, alarm bells practically screaming to get the fuck away, but that punk was either blind or too incredibly stupid, truly believing he's got a score on that hot American chick. Two of his friends were cheering him on from behind and it was just painful to watch.

" _Come here baby~"_

The words even made Tsukishima cringe. Hell, Tanaka and Nishinoya had more class than that; had more respect towards women.

Harriet still remained quiet, not saying a word, and he remembers the way her hand gripped tightly on the shoulder strap of her guitar case before slowly turning around and making her way towards the guy in even strides, her face indecipherable. The ring-leader and his pack were just giddy as she stood before him, ignoring the fact that her knuckles have turned white and how she was _still_ ominously silent.

But it doesn't stop there. Oh no, that's not the worst of it. Because the creep reached out and brushed his hand over her cheek, his thumb across her painted lips and Tsukishima never felt so disgusted in his life. How dare she let that Neanderthal lay his filthy fingers on her, allow him touch her like that when he's proven that he's just as smooth and suave as sandpaper! He didn't know why he reacted so badly to it, just that he hopes to never see it happen again. It could be because he was raised to always be respectful to girls, especially when in a relationship (though he's never been in one and doesn't plan to anytime soon) and that went against everything his mother taught him. It's the only explanation. The point is he didn't like it.

And when the guy licked his lips, that had been the final straw for him. The same for Harriet, finally deciding she's had enough, and Tsukishima witnessed the most satisfying beatdown he had ever seen. In the end, the guy scrambled away with a busted lip and a bloody nose (maybe some bruises in his stomach), his buddies having to help support him during his escape while yelling curses at her over their shoulders. She gave them the finger.

Harriet didn't seem like herself for the rest of the day. Word of the fight spread rapidly and she got called to the office. Tsukishima found out from Hinata who found out from Kenta that the reason why she got called to the office was because the same idiot she dealt with played the victim card to the nurse, saying that he only wanted to learn more English from her and got bullied for speaking it badly. Despite trying her best to explain how it really happened, about the fact that she'd been _sexually harassed_ and that lying scumbag knew exactly what he was doing, she got detention and two days suspension, whereas the 'victim' in question only received detention.

"Oi, cheer up Hinata! Thompson's a tough chick, so see can handle herself just fine," Tanaka says during afterschool practice.

What has to be taken to account concerning Hinata Shouyo in volleyball is whatever mood he's in deeply reflects how he plays. In this case, the boy happened to miss his spikes (something that deeply displeases Kageyama) and that he gets overly distracted to a point where it's not uncommon to have to repeat yourself twice, sometimes three times, before he gets what you're telling him. Sometimes it pains Tsukishima to see how easy it is to read Hinata.

"I know that!" Hinata pouts, but then quickly turns downcast to the ball held loosely in his grip. "It's just not fair."

"Heeey, if it makes you feel better, Hiroki is currently hacking into all of the guy's social media accounts!" says Nishinoya, grinning wolfishly.

"Ehhh? Really?"

"Yup! I saw the damage he did to his Facebook. Dude, if I were that bastard, I'd stay out of the internet for a while."

"Wow, Hiroki is so cool!"

"I know right?!"

"I'm starting to think he's a bad influence…" Daichi mutters from a distance, chugging down his bottle of water after having their first bout of exercises.

Suga smiles. "Well even so, it's not like his influence will make them want to become successful underground hackers."

Tsukishima snorts. "Of course not. Considering their grades, that would be impossible."

Daichi hums. "That is true. So we have nothing to worry about then."

Sitting against the wall next to Tsukishima, Yamaguchi taps his shoulder and spoke in a low whisper. "Hey Tsukki, you know tomorrow is Saturday right?"

The blonde's brows furrowed. "What of it?"

He feels sweat develop in the back of his neck when his friend gives him a perplexed look. Was something important happening tomorrow? Tsukishima thinks back on it.

Then it hits him like a two ton truck. He groans, burying his face in his palm.

"Fuck."

Because of that helpful reminder, the rest of his day was garbage. Literal raw sewage. Not even successfully angering his rowdy teammates by commenting on their intelligence lifted his spirits.

Tsukishima was thankful for walking home alone today. Yamaguchi and Yachi had planned another date so it's just himself.

Saturday. He's not looking forward to it. Hopefully, due to Harriet's mood, she might not be up for it and would want to cancel the arrangement. Otherwise, tomorrow will be full of awkwardness, discomfort, and if Tsukishima acts like himself, he might end up in the hospital. It wouldn't've been much of a problem if it weren't for that disgusting prick, and Tsukishima will feel no remorse if his life is ruined by whatever that hacker posts in his accounts.

He reaches home, immediately shuffles to his room and drops his weight onto his bed, fatigued from volleyball and filled with dread of what awaits him in the future.

Maybe he should call her and tell her to forget about owing him.

Bad idea.

First off, he doesn't have her number and just talking to her in general is not a good option at the moment.

He could just not show up, but she's made it clear that if he did that, there will be hell to pay and angering her further is also not an option.

So what other option does he have? None that he can think of.

Why did he have to be put through this?

Mulling in despair, he jolts when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He makes a noise, not in the mood to deal with whoever it is that decided to text him, but fishes for his device anyway. He lies on his back and glares at the screen above him. His eyebrows shoot upwards at the unknown number, but mostly at the text message.

[ Hi Debbie! Guess who? ;D ]

If it weren't for that horrible nickname, he wouldn't be able to guess who the text was from, but knowing who this is didn't make him feel better in the slightest.

How did Harriet get his number? He doesn't recall giving it to her. Did someone give it to her? Heck, why did she even _want_ his number? Does… Does she know where he lives too? Tsukishima suddenly did not feel safe.

Before he could contemplate whether or not to answer the text (and to maybe search somewhere online to see if there's anything that can repel his house from witches in case if it turns out she does know where he lives), he hears his mother call him down for dinner. He sighs. He abandons his phone on his bed, changes into his house clothes, and leaves his room. Maybe food will help clear his mind. It's the only thing he can rely on.

About an hour later, he returns feeling marginally better (his mom had made his favorite today) and picking up his phone, he was greeted with new texts.

[ In case you freak out, Hinata-chan gave me your number. No sorcery here ]

[ He didn't tell me where you live so you can rest easy on that ]

[ For now :) ]

[ Just kidding I don't really want to know where you live. It's bad enough I have your number ]

[ Not answering huh ]

[ That's fine. Until you reply, enjoy a photo montage of adorable puppies ]

Tsukishima thought not to dwell on how she knew he had that thought, that it was just an ironic, unfunny coincidence and he's not at all transparent, while scrolling down pictures of a fluffy white dog. There was even a few of the dog playing volleyball with Hinata and his little sister.

[ Jun sent me those. I just can't believe Hinata has a smaller, cuter version of himself! ]

[ *insert intense squeals here* ]

[ Miki is her name btw. The Samoyed. She will one day be a model ]

Tsukishima typed a reply, seeing he probably should or there will be no end to this.

{ I hate dogs }

[ Wow ]

[ I am offended and I'm not even a dog ]

{ You sure about that? }

[ How cute, a comedian. Thanks for reminding me how much I hate you ]

Tsukishima quirked his lips at that and continues typing.

{ No problem }

{ You mind explaining why you're bothering me in the first place? }

For a while, Harriet doesn't answer, and Tsukishima finds himself waiting patiently.

[ About tomorrow ]

[ You said you have practice that day and we should meet at the mall in the evening ]

[ I'm gonna need a more specific time than that ]

[ Would've asked you earlier but shit happened ]

{ Hinata said you got suspended }

[ Don't remind me ]

{ Are you alright? }

Tsukishima typed that before realizing it and had already sent it before he could take it back. Minutes pass and Harriet doesn't answer again. He curses. Way to make it more awkward. Way to let her know you're actually _worried_ about her wellbeing. She won't think you're on something. And why would he ask that? Of course she's not alright! He was there!

He feels his phone buzz during his self-rant and hesitantly glances back at the screen.

[ I'm fine. Thanks I guess ]

[ Still need the time ]

Simple as that and it's obvious she's not fine and doesn't want to discuss it further, at least not with him. In short, he screwed up.

{ We'll meet at the entrance at six }

[ Cool. Be there, or else ]

Tsukishima sensed that was the end of their discussion and exhaled heavily before burying his face in his pillow.

He is not looking forward to tomorrow.

In all honesty, he doesn't want anything from her. He only brought it up to tease her and amused himself in her humiliation. Now it's not funny anymore.

* * *

Tomorrow became today faster than he had wanted.

He arrived late to practice on purpose, mumbled an excuse that he slept through his alarm, ignored Yamaguchi's worried glance, glared hatefully at Hinata, and just focused on volleyball. Because he remained completely focused, wanting so hard to momentarily forget, his blocks were more brutal. Even Tanaka had a hard time getting passed him.

"Wow! I don't know what's gotten into you Tsukishima, but that was awesome!" the second year commented. "Don't worry, you still haven't one-upped me yet!"

Tsukishima only huffs and continues on his defense.

Soon, break time rolled around and Kiyoko and Yachi were serving sandwiches to the team's delight. After having to assure Daichi and Sugawara that he was fine, annoyed, he returned next to Yamaguchi on the floor, biting into his portion his friend had saved for him. Thankfully, Yamaguchi chooses not to query him like the others, though his concerned look still lingered on his face. Funny how Tsukishima for once decides to give his one hundred percent and the team immediately thinks something's wrong with him. They're not wrong, but like hell he's going to admit it.

"Wait! I just realized something!" Nishinoya began shouting out of nowhere, startling everyone. He aimed his index finger at the speckled blonde. "Tsukishima! Don't you have a date with that scary chick today?"

He choked in his sandwich.

"EEEEEHHHHHHHH?!" shouted the whole team while Tsukishima fisted his chest, coughing harshly.

The libero nods. "Yeah, because I remember back on Tuesday, Tsukishima and Thompson had a conversation about that, which resulted in Tanaka having to save his ass before he got pummeled by her. Then later in the auditorium, she finally accepts and said to meet on Saturday or else she'd punch him in the face."

"Ooh I remember that now!" Tanaka says. Hinata and Kageyama gave respective nods, also remembering.

"That sounds like a pretty unhealthy relationship…" Asahi states nervously.

"Hey, is that how kids are asking each other out these days?" Ukai whispers to Takeda in a distance from the students.

The advisor forces a low chuckle. "I surely hope not."

"H-Hold on, you got it all wrong! Thompson and Tsukki are not dating!" Yamaguchi tries to explain. "She just owes him a favor that's all."

The group stares at him. Meanwhile, Tsukishima tries to pointedly ignore two pairs of eyes drilling into his skull, coming from his captains.

"Soooo she owes him a date," Tanaka speaks up.

"It's not a date!"

"You seem to be defending him way too much," Nishinoya accuses. "Tsukishima's a man isn't he? Let him speak for himself! So Tsukishima, out with it! Are you two dating or not?"

Now all eyes were on him, and inside he was yelling every curse word he knew at Nishinoya and all the idiots around him until they burst into flames. Outside, he remained silent and he gave himself kudos for maintaining his pokerfaced expression because he knew he was just centimeters away from snapping.

"Even if I was, why would that be any of your business?"

"Ha! So you admit it!"

"I didn't admit anything. You're just drawing stupid conclusions and I don't have to explain anything to you."

With that, he stands and leaves the group, making his way over to Ukai and asked if he could excuse himself early. The coach lets him pass and Tsukishima quickly leaves the court building to the clubrooms, not looking back until he hears Yamaguchi's voice behind him.

"Wait, Tsukki!" he catches up to him.

"What now?" This time, Tsukishima doesn't hide his irritation. If it's just Yamaguchi, he can be open with his feelings. Just a little.

"Well um…" Yamaguchi slightly hesitates. "Y-You know, you really don't have to go through with this. Thompson-san's probably still going through a rough time and likely doesn't want to either so maybe you two can cancel it, or at least postpone it maybe?"

"We already set up a meeting at six, which is hours away. Plus, doing that would upset her."

Yamaguchi gazed, confused. "Why would it?"

Tsukishima shrugs and smiles derisively. "Because I forced her to keep her word."

After gathering his stuff in the clubroom, he exits Karasuno High and heads for home while Yamaguchi and the rest of the team continue practicing. He announces his arrival when he enters the household.

"Ah Kei, you're home early," his mother greets him with a kind smile.

Tsukishima nods. "I got plans later."

"With a girl I hope."

Seeing the boy's paled face, she laughs. "Kidding! Though you should think about it Kei. You're not getting any younger."

He nods stiffly before retreating to his room and tosses himself on the bed. He groans. If his mother were to find out that he'll indeed be spending part of his evening with a girl, she'll have a field day. She'll mistake it for a date, she'll want to meet this girl, have her come over for dinner, and just melt into a puddle of happiness as she coos over how they make such a 'cute couple'.

Tsukishima feels a bile rise up in his throat. He loves his mom, but he does not want her knowing about this if that'd be the end result. He does not want to deal with Harriet more than he has to.

Sighing, he closes his eyes, deciding to rest for a bit before getting up to take a quick shower and get ready to meet his demise.

* * *

"…Say what now?"

Junichi sighs. "Trust me, I was just as surprised about this as you are."

Masami tilts her head slightly. "Shouldn't you be worried?"

The boy forces a smile. "Words cannot describe how conflicted I feel right now."

"Conflicted about what little bro?" Scott chooses that moment to waltz into the family studio, located a floor below the music shop. Junichi and Masami were using it to practice, whereas Hiroki was needed to assist in his family's party store, and Takeo is usually unavailable in the weekends.

"About Hari-chan."

"Oh. Yeah she's been acting weird. She's been holed up in her room all day despite our dads saying she's not grounded. I mean sure, she got suspended, but it was unfair, she's not in trouble, so if I were her, I'd take this opportunity to do whatever the hell I want before going back to school. So what's with her today?"

Junichi and Masami glanced at one another.

"He doesn't know?" she asks.

Jun sighs. "I figured it'd be bad if he did."

Scott's eyes glinted, grin splitting his face as he claps happily. "Oooh secrets! I love secrets, especially if it's about the bastard witch! What is it? Tell me! I promise I won't tell!"

Jun highly doubts that, but knows he'd find out eventually.

"It's a long story," he begins. "To put it in abbreviation, she met this guy the day I gave her a tour around town who turns out to be a student at our school, and her classmate. She hates him. A lot. And sometime during the week, Hari-chan wounds up owing him for recovering her lost phone. And they plan to do that today."

Scott hums, nodding, absorbing all the information before asking, "And why doesn't she just say 'Hell no!' and, well punch him or something?"

Jun sighs again, scratching his head. "I don't know. I wasn't there when all that stuff happened."

"Do you at least know who he is?"

"Tsukishima or something. I don't know him, but I do know he's one of Hinata's teammates."

"Tsukishima…" Scott mutters, brows furrowed. He crosses his arms and stares at the ceiling. "Why do I feel I've heard that name before?"

"Huh? You know who he is?" Junichi asks, surprised.

"No but thinking back, while working I recall someone mentioning that name to me a few times. And I have met someone with the same last name, but he has job so he couldn't be the one you're talking about," He shrugs. "Unless they're related."

"What _is_ your job exactly?" Masami asks curiously.

"I'm glad you asked mi 'lady!" Scott pulls out a business card in his shirt pocket and hands it to her. Masami takes the card and reads the red print.

"Freelance Dj/Entertainer?"

"One of the best might I add," he says assertively, giving her a wink. "Ever need someone to spice up a party or event, I'm your guy."

"Nevermind the fact that he takes advantage of his foreign background and family status to gain more recognition." Jun's sarcasm was evident.

Scott gives him a hard look. "You sayin' I got no skill?"

"No, or else you wouldn't have been Takeo's tutor, but flaunting about how you're a nephew of a great American rock star does leave a bad taste don't you think?"

"Hey, we live in a competitive world. Success don't come easy. Hell I've meet people who _lie_ in order to make it to the top. It's crazy! You kids will soon see what I mean."

"My parents encounter frauds all the time in their jobs, so I can understand," says Masami.

"See? She gets it. But enough about me and how I run my business," Scott says before Jun could counter argue. "Back to Harriet, l say we play a game."

"Already I do not like this," Jun mutters. "Whatever it is, we're not-"

"Let's hear it," Masami speaks over him.

"Hah?!"

Scott slaps his knee, laughing. "I like you Masami-chan! And don't worry little bro, you find this game befitting for your concern over Harriet."

"Oh really?" Jun raised a brow challengingly.

"Oh yeah." Scott grins mischievously. "The game we're playing is Detective. I want to know more about this Tsukishima guy and why Harriet's having such a hard time pummeling him."

 **Meanwhile...**

On his way to the town mall, Tsukishima sneezes. He sniffs and rubs his nose, then zips up his jacket.

Why does he get the feeling this will not end well?

 **AN: You know, Tsukishima is one of those people you dislike but kind of like at the same time but you just don't know why, at least that's how it is for me. Now I just need to find out why people like Oikawa so much. I feel like I failed to notice something while watching the episodes. Please help.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this read and stay tuned for more!**


	10. I SWEAR This is not a Date

**AN: Wow, I am so surprised at the responses. So far no one knows why Oikawa is so popular either. *shrugs* Welp nothing can be done about that I suppose.**

 **Anyway thanks for the support nonetheless and sorry for the wait, but man... the amount of mental preparation I had for this chapter... I just can't. As you can tell this may be the longest chapter in the story so far, because SO MUCH stupidity is in here! Everyone is stupid because of me... *slams head to table***

 **You have been warned.**

Chapter 10: I SWEAR This is not a Date

Tia Cunningway can confidently say that she knows her best friend Harriet well, sometimes more than the violet head herself. Though she keeps up her uplifting façade during their first week apart across the globe, if she were to be honest with herself, she's grown slightly wary for her dear friend, especially after all that's happened during the school shootings over a month ago.

It had been a scary experience yes, but sadly for Tia, the sounds of bullets were far too familiar to her that she's grown accustomed to it. She doesn't remember much as a small child, but back in the shady streets of her old hometown in New York, she was almost never allowed to venture outside thanks to the party of gunshots rivaled gang members would create nearly each day. Her parents have always said they regret giving birth to her before they had the opportunity to move.

Tia believed it was because of those events as child that she was not nearly afraid of the gunman as she should've been, a student just like them. However, she was afraid of the lives of her classmates and teacher (who tried to reason with the student) which was why she snuck away from the gunman's line of sight to hurry inside the locker rooms to the coach's office in the back to call the police, then notify other teachers outside the gym.

Throughout the years she's known Harriet, Tia has realized that there are times when her friend faces things head on despite the consequences she may face. In this case, taking the bullet for the teacher. What Tia did not anticipate was for Harriet to fight the gun off the gunman and tackle him to ground as if she hadn't just been shot. That's what she'd been told since she was busy having to escort the police to the crime and found her friend restraining him on the ground, blood seeping from her wounded shoulder and eyes full of malice and hate Tia had never seen before.

That scene made her think long and hard about Harriet's behavior and actions and has concluded that her friend is very emotional.

Usually when Harriet expresses her feelings, it's either through music or through violence. Most of the time, she keeps them to herself. That incident at school must've been the pinnacle of many conflicted emotions (such as failing to understand why the gunman would want to kill innocent people) adding to her dangerous habit of taking action.

So yes, her friend is very emotional, especially when she doesn't exactly know what she's feeling, which can most likely lead to violence.

"Ugh! And that son of a bitch had the audacity to ask 'Are you alright?' like what the fuck? Why care all of a sudden? Oh, because I'm now a damsel in distress you all of a sudden want to be _nice_ , is that it?! Or was that another form of sick mockery, that dickhead!"

"I highly doubt it," Tia chose to add in her opinion as she silently listened to Harriet's story while texting to another friend on LINE, her pen pal.

Harriet glares through the computer screen. "Were you even listening to my whole story?"

"You started off with complaining about school and their uniforms, how you've joined Jun's club and is _finally_ playing the guitar again, how you've managed to get suspended- sidenote: that idiot totally deserved it, and out of all that over fifty percent of your rambling was about this guy in your class. Tsukishima, am I right?"

"You forgot how I've mentioned repeatedly that he's a total dick."

"That you did sweetie. However from what you've told me about him, I don't really think he is a 'total dick'."

"WHAT?!"

"Harriet you've only known him for a week."

"Yeah and after a week, I think I've learned enough about him."

"Is he cute?"

"W-Wha-"

Tia watched her friend gape like a fish, her cheeks the color of roses.

"The fuck Tia?!"

She puts on her signature sweet smile. "It's just an innocent question. And I'm not hearing a no…"

"He's hideous!"

"Too late! You're expression says it all," she laughs while Harriet slams her head onto her desk. Tia guesses her whole face is now equivalent to that of a sunburn.

"He's not even French…" Tia hears her whine and had to roll her eyes.

"Well duh, you're in Japan." Suddenly, she was struck with an idea. "Hey, you said you have to meet with him soon right?"

A groan was the only reply she got. Tia fought not to grin. "Use that opportunity to get to know him better."

The violet head shot upright and twisted her face to a grimace. "You mean like a _date_?"

"No dearie, one step at a time~" she giggled.

"I hate you."

"Love you too darling. Anyway, I wasn't done. Get to know him better without picking a fight or threatening his life. In short, be nice and friendly to him."

"I don't have to agree to this you know."

"You will with the offer I'm about to make should you concede."

Harriet had her arms crosses defiantly, but failed to look uninterested.

"I'm listening…"

"Remember that pretty vest I have, the one you tried to find one similar?"

"You mean the suit vest you liked so much you'd never part with it even if the apocalypse hits?"

"I can ask your mom to tailor it so it fits your size and have it sent to you. It shall be yours if you do this and whether or not Tsukishima is the type of guy you claim he is, the point is you tried and that is enough for me."

Harriet stares at her, her features stunned as her arms fall limp to her sides.

"What do you get out of this?"

"The fact that I know I'm right and you are wrong."

"You haven't even met the guy!"

"Believe me when I say this, you do tend to over exaggerate when it comes to your opinions on men."

"I do not!"

"Freshman year. David Tenner. You kicked him in the groin from behind."

"I thought he was being shady!"

"He tripped _by accident_ and fell on my chest. After that stunt you did, he wanted to switch schools. My point is you judge too quickly."

Harriet crossed her arms again and puffed her cheeks to a pout, embarrassed for having that subject brought up. Its times like these she hates Tia's wise and mature behavior.

"So are you going to concede Miss Grumpypants?" she taunts with that sweet gentle smile, as if she knows Harriet's answer as well as the events that may come in the next few hours.

Harriet huffs but grins slightly. "I accept Miss Know-it-all, so prepare to hand that vest over as soon as possible."

Tia gives her a thumbs up. "You got it!"

"You know, you can be a devil sometimes."

She shrugs. "I learn from the best."

"How are we still friends?"

"Some questions are better left a mystery."

That got a laugh out the wicked girl as she props her head on her palm. Tia continues typing.

"You're talking with your pen pal are you? What are you two discussing?"

"This new game I'm having him play."

"What is it?"

"Undertale."

Harriet snorts. "Are you trying to get him on a feels rollercoaster?"

"It worked with you."

"I'd rather not remember those days thank you very much. The Genocide Route still haunts me."

"Funny you should mention that; he wants to do that route first because he's heard the battle with Sans is extremely difficult, but I convinced him to finish the Pacifist Route."

"Well tell that poor son of a bitch I said good luck. He's gonna need it."

Tia types out her message while Harriet stands up from her desk chair to stretch her limbs. She then hears a giggle.

"He says thanks, but he'll have better luck than you."

"That cheeky bastard..."

Tia continues to laugh while Harriet rolls her eyes and shuffles through her closet.

"Still not going to tell me who that is?"

"Nope!"

Harriet pulls out an outfit and positions it in front of her to Tia.

"Then tell me what the fuck I should wear."

XXXXX

Kunio stood behind the counter of the music shop, one hand propping his head while the other tapped the glass irritably, his scowl more prominent than usual.

If anything, he'd rather be taking a trip down to Karasuno High and give the heads a piece of his mind than stay here and run his business. But his husband forbade him from leaving, saying _'it'll only cause more trouble than it's worth'_ in the nicest way possible. Damn him.

In his sights he sees Miki shake her body, white furs flying everywhere.

"Do that outside you stupid mutt. I just cleaned here."

Instead, Miki sits, facing Kunio and stares with one ear drooped and her head tilted. Kunio frowns.

"Don't give me that look. I'm fine."

She barks in a way that he could've sworn meant, 'No you're not'. Why did he listen to his kids about wanting to have a pet and why did his stupid husband have to agree?

Before Kunio could begin to have a heated argument with a puppy, he hears sounds of footsteps coming down from the second floor. Out came his niece, looking like she's going to a concert when not too long ago, she seemed to not want to do anything all day.

"Yo Obasan, I'm heading out! Don't know how long though."

"Don't call me that!" Kunio shouts with a heated face, not noticing the way she's obscuring herself nervously with her zipped up leather jacket. "And don't be out later than ten, you hear?"

"Okaygotitbye!" she says quickly, much to Kunio's confusion, before leaving the shop in a hurry.

"The hell was that about?" he mutters to no one, but soon sighs and leans back on the counter, knowing that there are things about that girl he will never understand.

Minutes later, he picks up another round of footsteps, more chaotic than before, and sees his two boys and Masami come into view.

"Yo Okaasan, Jun and Masami-chan have done a fantastic job practicing! So I'm taking them to the movies as a small treat. Imma drive Masami home afterwards," his stepson smiles and Kunio can easily tell he's hiding something.

"If either of them die in a car crash or something it's on your head," he says bluntly.

Scott forces a chuckle as he escorts the kids out, one of them (Masami) losing color. "Oh Mom, you and your jokes!"

"Just get out already!"

Once the trio left and he's sure no one else is around, he slumps onto the counter, arms dangling over the edge. He stays like that and over a minute passes by before he feels a wet tongue over his fingertips. Kunio sighs again, but doesn't move away.

"Stupid mutt…"

XXXXX

"Why did I let this happen?" Yamaguchi says in a small defeated cry. Shame and betrayal is just the onset of what he's feeling. "Tsukki's going to kill me."

"What are you talking about?" Tanaka looks at him, his expression serious. "All we're doing is having a friendly outing right here at the food court."

"Exactly," Nishinoya speaks with equal seriousness. "We're doing nothing wrong here, isn't that right Hinata? Kageyama?"

The two in question nod while their faces are stuffed with food they bought from McDonalds.

"See? And if Tsukishima and Thompson-chick arrive, then it's only by chance."

"But you guys know they'll be here!"

"It's okay Yamaguchi." Sugawara places a hand on his shoulder. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

"S-Suga-san…" Yamaguchi wasn't sure if it's he who's losing his sanity or the world around him. "You're supposed to be against this!"

"I am, believe me, but knowing Tanaka and Nishinoya, nothing will sway these two out of this despite my and Daichi's warnings, so I figure it best for one of us to watch over them so they at least don't cause trouble."

"Oi! Don't act like any of you are not as curious as we are!" the libero counters. "Tsukishima is spending time with a _girl,_ and not just any girl, but a girl who would probably beat his face with a sledgehammer. Isn't that something you wanna see?"

" _NO!_ " Both Yamaguchi and Suawara yell in a petrified manner. (Of course Nishisnoya isn't referring to Tsukishima's face getting beaten with a sledgehammer but still…)

"What about you Yachi-san, you're curious too right?" he asks the blonde who was silent the whole time drinking a smoothie before the attention brought to her made her temporarily choke in her drink.

"Don't drag her over to your lot!" Yamaguchi warns as he pats her back helpfully.

And the argument over morals and who's right drags on back and forth between the group (sans Hinata and Kageyama whose mouths are too full to even speak) before an entirely new voice interrupts them.

"Hinata-kun? Yachi-san?"

Yachi bolts up at the sight of her classmates. "Kenta-san! Masami-chan! Hi!"

"How unexpected to see you here," Masami greets Yachi casually. She peers at the boys. "So this must be the volleyball team."

"Yup!" Hinata shouts, mouth still full.

"Hey you're the kid on stage!" Tanaka recognizes Junichi. "Dude you are awesome!"

"Not this again…" Jun's face flushes as he mutters under his breath.

"Get used to it little bro!" Scott claps his back. "That's what stardom is all about!"

Sugawara raises is brows at the older boy. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you in Karasuno last year?"

It was Scott's turn to look surprised. "Heh, didn't think anyone would recognize me. I guess I was wrong."

"I saw you with Takeo sometimes which is why I could remember."

"Is that so?" Scott shrugs his shoulders. "Well, somebody had to look after the guy. So anyway, what's the occasion you guys have going here?"

"We're spying on Tsukishima," Kageyama says through his own mouthfuls of food.

"Y-You guys too!?" Junichi yells in disbelief.

"While we're here to spy on our beloved cousin. Man this is too good!" Scott laughs joyously while ruffling Jun's fluffy head.

"I'm against this by the way," Jun says weakly.

"That's good to know," Yamaguchi says with sympathy, glad that he's not the only sane one here.

"No turning back now. We're doin' this. Also, Harriet's on a bus which should arrive any minute," Scott informs everyone. "No doubt she'll probably wait at the front. It's still only thirty minutes to six, so for now we can just lay low, unspotted, and wait."

XXXXX

"You're almost late."

"It's only a minute to six so I'm not," Tsukishima states simply, then smiles teasingly. "What have I kept you waiting?"

"What do you think genius? I'm the caterer so I have to be early. That's how it works."

"Who says?"

"You know, you are _really_ making this difficult so if I were you, I'd better go in there and get what I want so this girl can move on with her life."

And to Harriet's relief, he obeys with a 'yes ma'am' which he probably said that to annoy her. She wouldn't put it passed him. She now wonders if she'll be able to keep her promise to Tia when already she has the urge to bash his face to the nearest wall.

And then there's the outfit Tia suggested she'd wear, specifically the top hidden under jacket. If it were any other occasion that's **not** this, she'd be totally fine with it. In fact, why is she even nervous about what she's wearing to begin with? She never gave a fuck about other's opinions positive or negative. That said, Tsukishima's opinion shouldn't matter.

It really shouldn't.

"Here."

Tsukishima's voice brought her back to reality and she finds them standing in front of…

A bakery shop. The same one Jun brought her to last week.

Well in all honesty, she didn't know what to expect.

"So you want sweets."

"Is that a problem?" he gave a sideways glance. "You said I can have anything I want."

"Did you eat anything before coming here?"

Now Tsukishima gazed at her fully, puzzled. What is she playing at?

"What's that got to do with-"

"Not buying you anything until you answer _Debbie-chan~_ " she grinned.

The tall blonde glared at her for a full minute until he huffs and answered reluctantly.

"No I did not."

"See? That wasn't so hard. I didn't eat either." Tsukishima was about to irritably ask what's the point in asking something like that when she continued. "There a BBQ place close by. I wanna head there first. Besides, every kid knows dessert comes after dinner."

She walks away from the bakery while Tsukishima stays planted where he stood. He doesn't understand what's going on, but if she thinks he'll just allow her to mock him and have him follow her, she's sorely mistaken.

"I didn't agree to this," he says firmly.

Harriet stops and glances back, raising an eyebrow. "You saying you don't want free food?"

Tsukishima almost thought he didn't hear her right and his dubious and nonplussed look amused the girl, making her chuckle.

"Looks like someone forgot who the caterer is here. Now come on, I'm starving. You'll get your sweets later."

It took a while for Tsukishima to respond, for all he was doing was staring at her retreating back, hands in her pockets, knee length boots clicking behind her. It was only when he finds himself staring at her hips did he force himself to move. He'll give in to her demands, if it means he's not paying. That's it.

Tsukishima has been to this place a few times before. It's quite popular and the food is good. Harriet's never eaten here however, which is a given since it only been a week since she moved and she was curious about it.

"Didn't expect it to be so warm in here…" he hears her grumble as they follow a waitress to an open seat.

"It's a BBQ. What were you possibly expecting?"

Either she didn't hear him or she was ignoring him, she was rather busy staring at the chefs openly preparing various dishes in awe. Her behavior was slightly amusing.

"Here's your table." The young waitress hands Tsukishima two menus since Harriet was farther back taking her sweet time eyeing the place as she made her way over. "We'll be right back to take your orders in just a few moments."

Tsukishima hums and accepts the menus. She bows respectfully, then to his horror, gives him a saucy wink.

"She's really pretty. Enjoy your date!" she says and skips away before the blonde could snap at her for making such an assumption.

"What was that all about?" He nearly jumped out of his skin because thank the gods she didn't catch wind to what the waitress had said.

"Nothing. Are you done sightseeing?"

"Yeah yeah, hold up."

Growing impatient, he turned to her to ask what she could be doing now that's apparently so important when he suddenly lost all train of thought.

Harriet was removing her leather jacket and under it… Tsukishima couldn't believe it but she was wearing a _corset!_ Black and indigo while the rest of her was black jeans and boots so of course he wouldn't have known she was wearing something like that! Under the corset she wore a mesh shirt so not too much skin was exposed but still showed enough.

This is…

Just what the…

"Hellooo… YO! Earth to Brainiac!"

He met her eyes and just blinked, his brain still not functioning.

"You gonna hand that over or will this be a staring contest?"

Took a while for him to register that he's still holding the menus and silently handed on to her. She gave him an odd look but didn't comment and accepted it with a 'thank you' before bouncing onto the seated cushions connected to the wall. Tsukishima sat himself down at the other side and immediately hid himself with the open menu, pretending to read while trying to fight down the rising heat in his cheeks.

It gets even worse later when he has to hand over the menu after a waiter comes to write down their orders and he has nothing to distract himself from looking at anything but the damn corset while waiting but his phone, which he regrets not downloading any games in it. So he pretends he's busy with the device while Harriet does whatever she's doing over there. He won't dare look.

"So… you like volleyball huh?"

He tensed, still unwilling to look at her, because why is she suddenly striking up a conversation with him? Is she that bored?

"Still up in space there Debbie or is your phone really that interesting?"

"I enjoy it." He answered with enough composure to not show discomfort.

"I see. Never saw you as the athletic type, but hey." He imagines her shrugging her shoulders and he _really_ shouldn't be imagining her doing anything right now. "What position?"

Not helping!

"Middle blocker," he forced out.

"Makes sense," she muses. "You are annoyingly tall."

"Not my fault you're short."

"I don't need to be tall to plant your face to the pavement. Remember that."

"Is that how you cater to people?"

"You're a special case."

"Should I be flattered?"

"Who's buying the food here?"

Ah yes, normalcy. Things are turning right again. If he could keep this up without having to face her directly (or if she could just put her jacket back on) hopefully there would be no problems.

"You should take your jacket off too. You look like you might overheat."

God damn it all. This is why he can't hope for things.

"I'm fine."

She's likely rolling her eyes at him. "Check yourself in the mirror because you are definitely not fine."

"Worry about yourself please."

"How about this, either you remove your jacket and avoid a potential heatstroke or I'll come over there and force it off you myself. Don't think I won't and I don't give a damn who's watching."

For the love of god does she have any idea what she's saying? How wrong that sounds?! Tsukishima is grateful she thinks he's heating up because of the environment and not because… nope he will not finish that thought. Instead he shrugs off his jacket and angrily tosses to the side, glaring at her while he does so.

" _Happy?_ "

Harriet sat leaning on the table, fingers twined under her chin displaying a refined young lady (when she's really a conniving demon) while her black painted lips grin smugly.

" _Very_."

Thankfully nothing else needed to be said. The waiter arrived with their food and Tsukishima was content to just eat and not talk for the rest of the meal and for the rest of this 'outing'.

He's noticed the girl's change of behavior the moment she asked if he's eaten and then offered to buy him food with the promise of going back to the bakery later. After that was her asking about his interest in volleyball and then nagging that he should remove his jacket.

Then there's that corset top.

To Tsukishima, this was all very off-putting. If his idiotic teammates were here to witness this, they definitely would think of this as a date. The thought made him freeze.

Could it be… does _she_ think this is a date? It's preposterous to think that since she's proven many times that she hates him, but then what else could explain her actions? Maybe she's bipolar?

Why is this even happening to him? If he wanted a date, he'd rather find someone who's not a violent female with a wicked tongue, gets on his nerves, sends mixed signals that drive him crazy, and most importantly, someone who does not wear a corset that looks too darn good on her! He needs to stop thinking right now…

But little does the tall blonde know, the worst has yet to come.

XXXXX

Hinata's aware of the fact that he's not the brightest crayon in the box. Wait that's wrong. If we're talking in terms of color and radiance, then yes, Hinata is pretty bright. Anything beyond that, say intellect, then no, he's not bright at all.

But despite his lack of intelligence, he's picked up something amiss amongst his group of friends, specifically from his new friend Kenta and his step brother, whom he demanded everyone to call him Scott.

The best way Hinata could describe their expressions is borderline from contemplative to inner turmoil.

They were all currently inside the BBQ place in seats that would hide them from view of their targets. Scott somehow managed to snag a waitress and gave her instructions as their 'intel' and to report back with any updates. Hinata thought it was a cool plan. He feels like a government spy!

The waitress herself seemed really happy with her secret job. Every time she appeared, she revealed her scoops with bubbly enthusiasm.

"It's so cute! Sometimes they're fighting while other times they're just chatting. They're like that old married couple cliché. And that boy, I could tell he's trying super hard not to stare at her and I don't blame him! I mean, she does look really hot in that corset-"

"Wait- WHAT?!"

The waitress shrieked and jumped back in shock when the step-brothers rose from the dead to gaze at her fiercely.

"I'm sorry you say she's wearing what now?" Scott asked slowly.

"Oh, a corset! I snapped a photo here somewhere…" The waitress searched through her phone and finding it, sets in on the table for everyone to see.

The two in the photo where in the middle of what looks like a war of who could steal the most meat from the other's plate. And truth be told, Harriet was indeed wearing a corset, with mesh.

"HAHA! We were right! They are dating!" Tanaka and Nishinoya high-fived each other.

"This proves nothing! You're still wrong!" Yamaguchi rebuttals.

"I've never seen her wear a corset before…" mutters Junichi.

"Can't say I have either," says Scott. "Then again it has been three years…"

"Hari-chan told me she has a collection of them," Hinata spoke up.

Everyone stares at him and he recoils a bit, wondering if he had said something wrong.

"Why would she tell you that?" Sugawara asked, uneasy.

"What were you two talking about?" Kageyama asked with equal uneasiness.

"T-The subject just came up while we were talking!" Hinata reasoned. It's true, Hinata discovered Harriet one time in the school's infirmary; he was forced to grab some ice after hitting his head again while she was awaiting for some painkillers. The two talked while waiting for the nurse and Harriet showed him two corsets on her phone asking which one looked better.

At the time Hinata didn't even know what such a garment was so the girl was quick to fill him in on the trend as well as its history. It made him a bit nauseous to know that in its time, it was originally made to tighten the ribs and stomach so the torso could look slimmer and more attractive. Nowadays, it's uncommon and more of a fashion statement (or a festish since there are lingerie types, Harriet pointed out) than a goal to cause potential health problems. Harriet did tease him by asking if he wanted to see her in one, which made him blush.

"She's so edgy," Masami said with sparkles in her eyes. "I wish I had that type of confidence."

"She really does look nice," Yachi agrees with a tinge of blush on her cheeks.

"No way, you want to wear on too Yachi-san?!" Nishinoya hollered in disbelief.

Redness now plastered the poor girl's face. "I-I-I didn't… I-I mean t-that wasn't-"

"Watch it Nishinoya…" It's amazing how one such as Yamaguchi can be timid at one point and then be menacing the next. Nishinoya had to assure him he meant no trouble.

"Alright, hold on," Scott interrupts everyone, hastily scratching his head. "Let me try to understand this. One, my cousin hates this guy right? Really hates him? Listen, I've known her since we were toddlers. I _know_ , for a fact that when she hates someone, _this_ doesn't happen!" He motions to the photo on the waitress's phone. "And the whole story with her having to owe him something and all that? If it were any other dude that gets on her nerves, she'd send them to the hospital or at least tell them to fuck off."

"That did almost happen," Kageyama pointed out. "Tanaka held her back."

"It was scary, not gonna lie," the bald-headed second year added.

"And the only reason she agreed was so to prove she could keep her word," said Yamaguchi.

"That still doesn't explain why she's acting so buddy-buddy with this guy," Scott muttered.

"If I may voice a claim," Everyone eyes the young waitress, who smiled. "Maybe deep down, she really likes the guy."

"Impossible." Scott and Junichi both say in unison, arms crossed, instantly shooting down the woman's claim.

"W-What? Why?"

"It's simple, Hari-chan is very selective in terms of interests." Junichi explains. "One that is most important, she prefers… French guys!"

Everyone stares at him silently, so silently that a tumbleweed may pass by.

"Always has been for years," Scott added. "Been dead set on it and has turned down every guy who asked her out."

"She even knows French by heart," says Jun.

Scott stood up from his seat and said with determined features on his face, "I'm going in."

Jun gasped and grasped his arm. "Are you crazy? That's suicide!"

Scott placed his free hand over Jun's and this scene could be similar to one of those dramatic soaps on television.

"I know its dangerous little brother, but I have to do this. This is a family matter."

"She'll kill you Nii-san!"

Scott chuckles. "So be it. If that happens, then do me one last favor."

"What is it?"

"On my gravestone, be sure it says, _'This man died a heroic death, in the hands of the Wicked Witch'_ and as I make decent to hell, have Queen play in the background. Will you do that for me little bro?"

"I will."

"Will you just _go_ already?" Masami shouts exasperatedly.

"Hey. _Hey._ We were just having a moment here," Scott said, hugging Jun close, almost crushing him. He gave a dramatic sniff while Jun struggled. "I might never see my little bro again…"

"I know you'll make it out of this Scott-san!" Tanaka cheered, pumping a fist to the air.

"Fight on Scott-san!" Nishinoya followed.

"Go Scott-san!" went Hinata and Kageyama.

"My friends, I shall return shortly!" Scott saluts goodbye before maneuvering through employees and other customer on the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Masami tries to hide herself, knowing that people nearby are staring at their table.

Sugawara gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Our team can be a very high-spirited at times. It can't be helped."

"I feel the need to apologize as well," the girl says in dismay. "I never thought that a music club could be filled with bumbling idiots."

XXXXX

Much to Harriet's surprise, the day has gone pretty well so far and she can't say she regrets taking Tia's challenge. Sure there were a few foul hits, her making threats once or twice, but to her, that's an improvement worthy of praise.

The funniest part is Tsukishima's reactions to it all. Her slightly out-of-character behavior towards him has rendered him silent at most times, as if he doesn't know what to do or say.

He hasn't commented on the corset yet. It looks like he wants to, but is holding back for some reason.

Other than that, he still acts like an insolent prick, just mellowed down she guesses? He's being more compliant, whether he's aware of that or not, which only adds to her delight.

Harriet chews down another piece of meat she stole from Tsukishima's plate. He's now using the condiments as a fort to protect what he has left.

It'll be hard to deny she's having too much fun with this. She should find Tia a gift later.

"Harriet?"

Her eyes were saucers when she finds her biological cousin nearby. She drops her chopsticks.

"Omg how unexpected is this right? Come here you-" The girl was stunned to stone as Scott goes over and hugs her. He's _hugging_ her! What the fucking hell? Who is this imposter?!

Scott pauses and gives Harriet a onceover while she remains stock till, unable to deduce what is happening.

"Is that a corset young lady? Well I'll be dammed and hit by a tow truck, I never knew you owned stuff like that. Must be a special occasion to be wearing it now and under our noses am I right?" He playfully nudges her side.

Harriet breaths slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just on my way to the restroom after eating when I suddenly noticed you and- Oh where are my manners!" He pretends he hasn't been paying attention to Tsukishima, who was idly fiddling nervously. He offers his hand to shake. "I believe we haven't met. Yo there, I'm Scott Thompson. Call me Scott. And you are…"

The blonde takes it, hesitantly. "Tsukishima, Kei."

For some reason, there's something intimidating about the guy. He's not as tall as him and he may not look much, but hidden underneath those long sleeves, he's got muscle. Tsukishima could tell by the grip in the man's hand.

"Tsukishima huh? I know another guy with that name. Does Akiteru ring any bells?"

The blonde began feeling perplexed and Scott laughed.

"Hey chillax man! I have a cleaner, less hostile reputation than my dear cousin, and if you've somehow managed to survive around her, then I should be a no brainer. I knew Akiteru and his buds from work. That's literally it. So I assume you do know him."

"He's my brother," he admits.

"Figured. You two share some similarities, appearance-wise that is. You're more quiet though."

"…"

"See? Like right now!" He quips and turns to Harriet. "So you're into the quiet ones huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Harriet asks, annoyed. "Better question, why are you still here?"

"Well come one now. Don't be like tha-"

A cellphone begins ringing the lyrics of The Who's "Who Are You" and Scott pauses.

"Hold up a sec." He fishes it out his pocket and answers, thinking it might be just another potential customer. He never turns down an opportunity for more money. "This is Scott aka DJ Scottsman and how may I help you this fine evening?"

He however, did not anticipate a familiar female voice on the other line and his mind began reeling at the unsuspecting turn this may cause.

" _Aunt Lily, is that you?"_ he gasped. _"Oh my god, what a surprise! I don't remember giving you my cellphone number, you she-devil! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"_

Once hearing the name, Scott could see Harriet's face turn pale. Tsukishima notices and looks at the two of them in confusion. Scott has converted his speech to English so he has no idea whether the blonde could understand him or not. Then again, Tsukishima isn't his main target of focus. Not yet.

" _No no don't worry about it, I completely understand and she's fine. She probably forgot to check her phone again. She's doing great, in fact…"_ He maneuvered away from Harriet's fingers as she frantically tried to snatch his phone. His free hand kept her at bay. _"I hear she's actually made some new friends and joined a music club! And it gets better…"_

" _Scott I swear to god!"_ She yells at him in English too.

" _Right now she's having dinner, with a_ _ **boy**_ _! And, no he's not French."_

Screams came from both sides; One ear yelling curses and death threats, the other ear squealing in delight. His job can get pretty wild at times so he's used to such loud noises.

Meanwhile Tsukishima looked like he's debating whether or not he should run. Scott doesn't blame him.

" _Huh? Yes, that was her just now… Yes he's here too… You want to what now?"_ He asks after Aunt Lily finally settles down. _"I dunno if that's a good idea. Have you mastered Japanese yet?... Alright, alright calm down! Geez, I'm starting to believe Harriet got all of her pushiness from you. Hold up."_

To Harriet's utter horror, Scott hands his phone to Tsukishima.

"Here. Aunt Lily wants to say hi," is all he says, speaking Japanese again.

"Uhh…" Tsukishima was at a loss, really unsure of what to do, even more so by the look of death from the girl across from him. At least it's not directed at him.

"Scott…"

Scott shrugged. "She just wants to say hi. Besides, you and I both know that if I just hang up right now, she'll find other ways. Lord knows how, but she has the resources."

"Then you shouldn't have said anything!"

He grins at her. "I know." He then faces Tsukishima. "So what are you waiting for, Christmas?"

Tsukishima slowly takes the phone before witnessing Harriet tackle her older cousin to the ground. He watches wide-eyed along with other onlookers as she drags him across the floor by the collar, like a useless potato sack, out the restaurant. Observing her mood, he probably will never be seen again.

Tsukishima stares at the phone in his hand and contemplates the situation he's put himself in. He could just not answer, for there's a chance he might also end up like Scott, but if what the guy says is true, than he'd rather not have this woman track him down for whatever reason.

Again, why is this happening to him?

"Hello?" he asks through the phone, preparing himself for the worst.

"Oh, hi there." He did not expect to hear such a soft, almost fragile sounding voice. "I was hearing so much noise in the background… um, could Harriet be attempting to kill Scott?"

"…Probably."

He hears a sigh. "It's expected. Lord knows what to do with those two. Ah, I'm sorry if my Japanese isn't good! I'm still learning."

"I can understand you so it's fine."

"Thank you. I should've said this already, my name is Lily, Harriet's mother. And you are?"

"Tsukishima."

"It's nice so speak with you Tsukishima and I hope I'm not stepping boundaries, but you two aren't dating are you? I know Scott can exaggerate things just to get under my daughter's skin."

He doesn't know why he finds her voice so relaxing, even though she's a stranger he cannot see.

"It's just a hangout. Nothing more."

"I see," she giggles. "It's still surprising though. Back home the only person she ever hangs out with is Tia, and now they can't see each other anymore. I was worried this move would divert her back to her old secluded self."

His brows furrowed. "Not to be rude, but why is she here in the first place if you knew that would be a problem?"

There was a pause and Tsukishima felt that maybe _he_ has stepped on some boundaries.

"It's too… difficult to explain," Lily spoke carefully. "But one of the main reasons is my failure as a mother. I just want her to be safe after everything that's happened and Adrian, her uncle, is the only person capable of watching over her and one of few people I trust. It couldn't be helped that it required her moving to different country, but I always secretly believed it would give her an opportunity for a fresh start.

"And I'm so relived I was right. She's attending a music club, which means she's playing the guitar again! I've always feared she'd given up becoming a good guitarist like her father years ago. And she's making new friends too, which I thought would never happen! I'm so glad!"

Tsukishima remained silent.

"Can you please do me a favor Tsukki? It's okay if I call you that right? It's shorter. I was wondering, if maybe you could keep an eye on her for me? You don't have to do anything extravagant. I just want things to stay like this. Harriet is a good girl, rough around the edges yes, but she's a good girl who believes she can do everything on her own. I don't want her to be alone again…"

XXXXX

Sometime later Tsukishima waits patiently for Harriet's return after talking with her mother. He sees her eventually. He looks around for Scott. He doesn't find him.

"We're leaving," she says brusquely, slamming a huge wad of cash she had in her fist onto the table.

"That's more than what we owe," he points out.

"Then the lucky waiter will be receiving a hefty tip. I don't care. It's not my money." She says this while not looking at him, putting on her jacket before grabbing her tiny satchel.

Saying nothing else, she leaves. He follows.

She doesn't ask him about the conversation he had with her mother, which surprises him yet greatly relieves him, for he won't be able to explain without making it awkward for both of them. Lily hasn't told him much anyway, but has left him curious (despite himself) about Harriet's life back in America.

Minutes later, they were back at the bakery. It's amazing she hasn't flat out broken her promise. In fact, she could've just abandoned him at the restaurant and go home. That would make more sense.

"Hello and welcome!" the shopkeeper greets with a smile. The lady smiles bigger once recognizing the tall blonde. "Ah Tsukishima, it's been a while! The usual?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. And how about you young miss? Would you like anything."

She wasn't paying attention, as if spacing out.

"Miss?"

"Huh?" She comes to. "Oh. I'm fine thanks."

The woman stares before collecting the order Tsukishima made. She comes back with strawberry shortcake. Two, each wrapped in a cute white box.

"Here you two are."

Harriet frowns. "I just said I-"

"I insist dear. You look like you might need something sweet. It's on the house."

Tsukishima watched the girl stare at her cake before sighing and… smiling?

"I can't accept that ma'am," she mutters before reaching into her satchel and pulling out a cash note, placing it on the counter. "That should cover both cakes. Keep the change."

"That's a lot my dear! I honestly can't-"

"But I insist. Thanks lady!"

She leaves with her cake before the shopkeeper could protest. In defeat, she takes the note.

"I wonder what's wrong with that girl."

Tsukishima says nothing, watching her go, continues to stare even when he no longer sees her.

Finally, she abandons him.

 **AN: To reach the end means you've put up with this chaos I've written. I commend you. More will come for you insane souls.**

 **Also, hey! You have the LINE app? You have LINE PLAY? Come friend me! My avatar is named Tia Hemmie. Yes she's based off the character in this story and I am proud of my little cutie! Just got the app and it's such a cute social site that reminds me of Tinier Me, remember that? Except BETTER!**

 **Visit Tia and check out her cute room! She'll love to see you~~**


	11. Good Riddance

**AN: Yo! Semester's over and I'm back at it again with another chapter! Also I've been summoned for jury duty and have to leave very early on Monday so there's that too! First time for everything right?**

 **WARNINGS: Mentions of abortions, mentions of death, lots of lyrics to songs you probably already know (I have no originality YAY), list of weird songs from the 90s (Srsly look it up. 90s kids be ready for nostalgia), and lastly, swearing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I only own OCs**

Chapter 11: Good Riddance

 _Years Ago…_

" _Jeez Mopey, why do you always let those kids pick on you huh?" the twelve year old boy mutters as he takes his eight year old cousin by the hand, leading her out the elementary school campus._

 _His father asked him to pick her up today. He didn't argue. The past couple days had been hell and the tension within the house was so thick, he was relived to be out._

' _Mopey' says nothing, her hand loose in his as she allows him to drag her to wherever he takes her, her long dark brown, almost black, hair hiding her dirty face from the world. The rest of her, clothes and pale skin, were also covered in mud and dirt. Scott arrived just in time to witness the other kids try to force mud down her throat. Of course he wasn't gonna let that happen and thanks to his height and status as a middle schooler, he easily sent those kids running._

 _Still, Harriet had to wait a while afterschool for someone to show, and if everyone weren't so busy, had Scott not been informed sooner… His jaw clenched. He's well aware of her bullies and though he's teased her about her weakness making her a target, if this is the extent she always has to go through…_

" _It's usually not this bad…" He barely caught her murmur and realized his hand was gripping hers a little too tightly. He loosens it. "And plus I tried to run away…"_

 _That didn't make him feel better._

" _We should tell your mom-"_

" _NO!" She wrenches her hand away with a strength Scott knew she possesses, but only uses it on rare occasions. Those rare occasions being where he challenges her to certain things, like who can climb a tree the fastest or who can eat grandmother's chili peppers and be the last person to fetch the milk. He would always taunt about how she won't be able to beat him even if she tries, that he'll always be better than her. In these silly matches, his little cousin strives to prove she's not all that fragile and weak, and each time Scott believes her._

 _Harriet shakes her muddy head frantically, fists clench onto her dress while failing to fight back tears._

" _D-Don't tell Mom! Please! S-S-She's been upset enough! I don't want to upset her more…"_

 _Scott can understand that but…_

" _My dad then?"_

 _She shakes her head again. "He'll tell her. Please don't tell! Please!"_

" _Okay okay! I won't say a word about it!" He complies quickly in hopes for her to stop crying._

 _She sniffs. "Promise?"_

" _Yes. Cross my heart and hope to die and all that." He drew an invisible x above where his heart would be for good measure. Seeing that, Harriet gives a faint nod._

" _Still," the boy continues. "How are you going to explain the muddy mess?"_

" _I'll tell them I fell."_

 _Scott snorts. "Yeah, like they'll believe that. They'll automatically assume you've been bullied. Again."_

 _Seeing Scott's point, Harriet begins to panic again, eyes wide and trembling, her tears threatening to come back. Scott mentally curses to himself and thinks fast. He eyes a rather huge puddle in the distance and was struck with an idea. Harriet watches, confused as her cousin leaves her, going towards the wet puddle in a grassy area by the walkway._

 _And like some trapeze artist, but with less grace, he falls on his back, onto the damp gooey surface. Harriet stares, mouth agape._

" _Why did you-aah!" A ball of mud aimed at her stomach._

" _Mudball Fight!" Scott hollers with a manic grin, globs of wet dirt in each hand. "It's like a Snowball Fight but with mud instead! So what do you say Mopey? Think you can get me as dirty as possible or will you run away like a widdle wimp?"_

 _And there came the fire in the girl's eyes that were timid only seconds ago. Scott knew she was dead set to make him eat those words._

 _Good._

…

" _Uncle Alix?"_

" _Daddy you're back!"_

 _At the door stood Alix Thompson who was ready to surprise his nephew and daughter by greeting them inside. Only to be surprised at the two coming home looking like they just left the pig pen as little Harriet runs to give him a hug._

 _His clothes weren't that expensive anyway._

…

 _After the two were ushered to the baths, Alix informed them that he and Adrian are taking Lily out to relax and unwind for the night. She'll be surrounded by close friends as well. Their grandmother would be watching them while they were gone. Scott and Harriet understood, nodding their heads._

 _Being so young, neither of them knew the full details of what happened. All they know is that something went wrong and the doctors had to take the baby out of Lilly's stomach or else she'll suffer the same way Claudia, Scott's mother, did. Needless to say, Harriet no longer has a little brother to look forward to and for Scott, a younger cousin._

" _You think Mommy will be okay?"_

 _After a spicy meal made by their grandmother, the two lay on the ground in Harriet's room, staring up at the glow stickers attached to the ceiling._

" _Of course she will. Like Granny said, she just needs time."_

 _Silence hangs in the air for a moment or two before Harriet speaks again._

" _Is… Is it my fault?"_

" _Huh?" Scott had to turn his head, but couldn't see her as he was lying on the opposite side. "What do you mean?"_

" _What if the baby didn't want me as a sister?"_

 _The boy furrows his brows and sits up, legs crossed underneath. "I don't think that's how it works..."_

 _Harriet changed her position too. She curled on her side, hugging her legs. "They told me that any kid would be ashamed to have me as their sibling."_

 _Someone said that? Who? As he pondered, something clicked._

" _Did those kids say that?" He probably should've done more than scare them off._

" _Other kids too."_

 _Scott sighs heavily and rubs his face with both hands. He wants to call out on his cousin's naivety and stupidity as well as bust noses on the kids who made her believe that._

" _I take back what I said. You're not a wimp, you're an idiot." He settles with the first option._

 _She rolls and blinks up at Scott in surprise. "Huh? Why?"_

" _Because you're talking to someone who's related to you. We may not be siblings but our parents always say we act like it. And you don't see me going anywhere, do you?"_

 _Harriet slowly shakes her head. Scott grins._

" _And that's why you're an idiot."_

 _He stands, ignoring the girl's angry pout, and fetches the acoustic guitar propped by Harriet's closet door._

" _I think I've gotten one of Green Day's songs down right. Wanna listen?"_

 _The girl's anger dissipates and gives an eager nod. Scott sits and tunes the strings until the tones were right to him. He tests the notes until he's ready to play. By the first few strums from the pick, Harriet recognizes the song immediately._

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go

So make the best of this test and don't ask why

It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right

I hope you had the time of your life

 _Scott sees Harriet's eyes begin to droop and he can tell she's trying to fight off sleep. He inwardly chuckles and continues to sing._

So take the photographs and still frames in your mind

Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial

For what it's worth, it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right

I hope you had the time of your life

 _The longer instrumental verse was melodic and, in a way, soothing, even if there was no violin to add to peacefulness of the piece. The acoustic can do just as good on its own, especially if it's lulling Harriet to sleep._

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right

I hope you had the time of your life

 _Scott slows to the end, just as Harriet begins breathing evenly, having lost to the Sandman._

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right

I hope you had the time of your life

 _Just as he was beginning to think he'd have to lift the sleeping girl off the floor and carry her to her mattress, Grandma comes in to save him the trouble. She compliments his little performance as she gently tucks Harriet in. Scott just shrugs and after saying goodnight, he places the instrument back in its spot and heads for his guest room._

 _Inwardly though, he just hopes all the drama and tension will die down so things can be back to normal._

XXXXX

Scott will admit he's lucky to still be standing with all his limbs attached, bruised but still functioning and usable. Though heartbroken to find his wallet empty (all the money he actually earned _gone_ ), at least he still has his cards, and things could've been worse…

But it's not like any of it was his fault! Sure he slipped some things to Aunt Lily, but it's not like he anticipated her to call _at all_ in the first place, and he definitely didn't expect her to want to talk to Tsukishima.

Oh well, it happens.

Like he said, it could've been worse and Scott isn't really the type to hold a grudge. His injuries will heal and he'll make more money.

His cousin? If his assumptions are correct, she'll breathe fire for a few days (longer if she's in her PMSing stage), then get over it. During those days, he'll just steer clear from her presence, which isn't hard to do since she tends hole herself up in her room and will probably stay there for the rest of her suspension. Even better, he's going on a trip first thing tonight. Business as always, and it's with one of his favorite clients.

It's gonna be awesome and nothing, absolutely nothing, shall destroy this moment to rubble.

Minutes Later…

"WHAT?!" Scott stares at his fathers in disbelief, wanting to believe he misheard them in some way. He chuckles. "You're kidding right? _Please_ tell me you're kidding."

"Does it look like we're kidding?" Kunio says, arms crossed.

"B-B-But-" Scott calms, clears his throat, and tries again. "Look, I get that you're worried, but you can't expect me to do my job and babysit at the same time-"

"You say that now, wait until you're a parent. It's basically the same thing."

The young man sighs. "Also, you've known the two of us to have squabbles for years. Hell, she's still mad at me for yesterday! What makes you think we'll be okay on our own without a potential mishap? She might ruin my business!"

"Of course we've thought about that," Adrian speaks. "But son please, Harriet needs a break. Her first week here hasn't really been the best. A bit of time away from this town while she's suspended could put her at ease."

"And as long as you don't give her a reason to ruin your business," Kunio adds with a grin. "Then I'm sure you two will get along just fine by yourselves. It's only two days."

XXXXX

She hadn't realized people had been calling her, mostly because she had her phone on silent. It could also be because the whole time, she had her headphones on full blast as she laid face down on her mattress, trying to drown out the world around her. Eventually, she fell asleep, waking up about an hour later to check the time on her device.

She cringes at the number of missed calls from her mother, followed by a text which read:

[HONEY IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE TEXT ME BACK I'M REALLY SORRY FOR INTRUDING LIKE THAT BUT I PROMISE I DIDN'T TELL YOUR FRIEND ANYTHING EMBARRASING I JUST WANTED TO ASK A SMALL FAVOR FROM HIM PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEE!]

"Jeez mom…" Harriet forces out a chuckle and quickly replies with a short text.

[Sorry, fell asleep. It's cool. I'm not mad so don't worry]

Having time to cool down, Harriet doesn't feel as upset as she was yesterday. She's still pissed at Scott but he got what he deserved. He'll have to think twice before pulling a stunt like that again. Then again, Scott is an idiot. He'll find other ways to grind on her nerves.

As for the discussion between her mom and Tsukishima, Harriet feels she'd rather not know what it was about. Her mother said she asked him to do her a favor. Just what could that be?

Harriet tenses in surprise to see another incoming call.

It was Alix, her father. She answers immediately before the next ring.

"Dad?"

"Hey Starshine!" came her father's voice. "Doing okay I hope?"

"Well, more or less."

"Hey, your mother and I heard about the suspension and the injustices that lead to it. Your mother wanted to talk to you about it yesterday, but since you didn't answer her calls, she was left to call your uncles, and then Scott. And well, she got sidetracked along the way so to speak." He laughs. "Now she feels bad about it."

"I texted her just now. I'm not mad at her."

"I know you're not. Anyway, the whole point for calling in the first place was so say we're sorry you had to go through that and though you're suspended, you're not in trouble. Now having said that, word around the street says you're playing again."

Harriet blushes. "O-Only a little! I haven't done much and I've gotten sloppy so-"

"Then just pick yourself up little by little. You'll get your groove back in no time. Don't stress and don't rush."

"I know."

"And hey, I know it's been hard, but I'm proud of you. No matter what path you take, as long as it's something you really want, I'll always be proud of you. You just need to give yourself more credit."

Her gaze lands on her two guitars laying in their stands from across the room and Harriet thinks back to the times she's practiced with Takeo, Jun, and the other club members. She sighs.

"Thanks Dad. I'll work harder. You'll see."

"You'll do great, trust me."

The two talk for bit after that. Alix updated her on the band's music video releasing soon followed by the release of their next album. Meanwhile, Lily is to attend a fashion show to showcase her new designs. Also good news, Tia and her dance crew are to compete for the semi-finals in the USA Hip-Hop Dance Championship. That made Harriet elate in ways that made her previous troubles wash away.

"Tell Tia I wish her and the guys good luck," she says with a fond smile, recalling the times she used to dance along with them before she moved. The members of the crew were all pretty cool and it was Harriet's first experience in working as a team compared to always playing solo on her guitar.

"I'll be sure to pass the message. They miss you by the way."

She snorts. "Yeah, miss me bringing hell upon them."

"Of course! Things just aren't the same without their hell-raiser."

They laugh and eventually they had to end the conversation. Harriet rests her chin on her knees as she stares at her phone. It's times like this she wishes she were back home. She misses her parents. She misses Tia. And even though she doesn't consider them close enough to be friends, she misses everyone in the dance crew.

Lost in her memories, she nearly falls off her bed when her door slams open.

"Sup my wicked little cousin!" Scott shouts from the doorway. "Hope you haven't killed yourself out of boredom yet!"

The violet-head blinks, one eye twitching.

"Dunno, but I think one of us might die in a few seconds if they don't explain what the hell they're doing here."

Scott waves off her threat with a chuckle. "I just came to tell you that you got till seven to pack up for the next two days."

Harriet tilts her head. "Why?"

He grins. "Because you and me are going to Tokyo! And I know what you're thinking, but this decision is out of my hands and you'll have to talk to your uncles about it if you want out. Though, I guarantee you'll be unsuccessful."

Harriet just blinks.

And blinks again.

It took a while for the message to sink in and when it did, a look of horror struck her face.

"WHAT?!"

"I know. That's exactly what I said."

XXXXX

In the end, she was unable to talk her way out of it and finds herself loading her stuff into Scott's van.

"Don't look so bummed. Tokyo is a great place, one of the most popular cities in Japan." Junichi was there to see them off along with Miki. Harriet sighs dramatically.

"I know Jun, and I would be absolutely _thrilled_ to spend my suspension there, if it weren't for the fact that I have to spend it with _**him**_ …"

"Would you rather spend it with Tsukishima?"

Harriet hits her head against the car door. Rubbing a sore spot, she whips her head to her step-cousin, giving him wide eyes similar to an owl.

"You've been talking with Tia, haven't you?"

Junichi gives a smile too disturbingly similar to that of her dear friend. "She made some very interesting points."

"Great. Two special people in my life are conspiring against me. You know what, I'm almost glad I'm leaving with Scott. Good riddance traitor."

"You two will have a great time."

Harriet rolls her eyes and shoves one of Scott's bags aside for more room. She's surprised to find a guitar case in there.

"Scott still plays guitar?"

"Not always," says Jun. "He rarely plays that for his clients, preferring to use turntables instead. I guess you can say he only plays guitars to pass the time."

"Hm." Funny. And here she thought he no longer held interest in them.

"OKAY! We're ready to go!" Speak of the devil, Scott barges out the family shop with the last of his technical equipment. His fathers right behind him.

"You two have everything right?" Kunio says to the two youngsters. "You have enough essentials, money for the hotel, and extra money in case something goes wrong?"

"Yup! Got everything _plus_ a map if Harriet wanders off on her own and gets lost."

"I'll know my way around just fine thank you…" Her voice fades at Kunio's stern glare. "But I guess a map will come in handy!"

Adrian shakes his head and moves to ruffle the girl's head. "Just remember to be back in time for school on Wednesday. Have fun and stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry Uncle. I will." She grins up at him.

"And send pictures too!" Junichi adds and Miki barks with equal enthusiasm.

"You got it!"

At a little past seven in the night, the biological cousins began their journey to Tokyo, the travel estimated to be hours long by car.

Minutes into the drive, going on the freeway, silence already fell heavily between them, enough to feel the need to distract themselves. At least if felt that way to Harriet and she's come to realize that for the next two days it'll be just her and Scott living together alone, a situation they've never been in before.

Neither of them said a word so far, Scott paying attention to traffic and Harriet playing games on her phone. She was tempted to play music too, reaching for her headphones before she paused, noticing Scott connect his phone to the car stereo.

 _Powerpuff! Powerpuff!_

The song he chose in his playlist blasted through the speakers and Harriet could only stare in disbelief as Scott rocks his shoulders to it.

 _Blossom! Commander and the leader_

 _Bubbles! She is the joy and the laughter_

 _Buttercup! And she's the toughest fighter_

 _Powerpuffs save the day!_

He then sings along, voice high pitched to match the chorus.

 _Fighting crime, trying to save the world!_

 _Here they come just in time:_

 _The Powerpuff Girls!_

 _Fighting crime, trying to save the world!_

 _Here they come just in time:_

 _The Powerpuff Girls!_

His voice made Harriet double over in her seat, hands clasped to her mouth while her shoulders shook.

"Hey! Don't be making fun of my singing!" He yells over the tunes, but there was no malice, only humor. "I dedicate my life to perfecting the theme of my favorite childhood cartoon show!"

She tries to talk without bursting out laughing.

"I thought your favorite childhood cartoon show was Freakazoid!"

"True, but it didn't have a cute and catchy theme!"

"You're such a dufus!"

"You're laughing tho!"

"Fuck off!"

"Nah!"

Buttercup's theme played next and Harriet remembered liking it when she first heard it. When she was smaller, she dreamed of becoming someone as strong and courageous as Buttercup. She was her favorite out of the three girls.

For the rest of the trip, the cousins sang to songs they remember hearing as kids back in the US. There were even some outright ridiculous ones Harriet wonders to this day if the artists who created them took some high euphoric drug before the idea sprung forth. Songs like " _Peaches"_ , " _C'mon And Ride It (The Train)"_ , and even the infamous " _Barbie Girl"_ , but once Scott sang and even memorized the dance moves from " _C'est La Vie"_ by B*Witched, Harriet thought she busted her kidneys from laughing too hard.

Remembering her cousin is the type of person who always seems to know how to 'break the ice' in any given situation, the violet-head is convinced that this trip will turn out just fine with just the two of them.

XXXXX

The following morning, after getting some rest in their hotel room they booked, Harriet woke to find Scott had left early. She found it odd, but then again he said he's only here to do business. That's probably it.

She eventually finds a note on the nightstand which basically says the same thing. Errands and prep work. What kind of errands, she didn't know. At the bottom it also said to meet him at a local food place at four-thirty along with an address coupled with a crudely drawn map of its location.

 _Follow this exactly or else you'll easily miss it! The place is pretty hidden so not many people know about it. Don't get lost~ Peace!_

Harriet blew a strand of hair from her face irritably. As if this chicken scratch drawing could help her any. He was never good at art.

At least she has free reign to explore the city of Tokyo, mall shopping being the first and upmost important on the to-do-list. Oh yeah.

But first, food. So she orders breakfast, gets dressed, and then leaves the hotel in search for outlet malls as well as stopping every now and then to appreciate the many sights and historical landmarks the city has to offer. By the afternoon she'd come back to drop off the stuff she bought. There were even some gifts she planned to later send to her parents and Tia. Scott still wasn't here, which meant he hadn't showed up since he left.

Again, odd.

She decides to take Amour with her for the trip and found some calm relaxing spots during her self-tour. Practicing sounds good right about now.

 _Don't stress…_

 _Pick yourself up little by little._

 _I'm proud of you._

Determination sets through the girl's eyes.

Practice definitely sounds good right now.

XXXXX

"Lev. It's been over five minutes. You still have another mile to run. Get up."

Receiving no response from the tall first-year, Kenma nudges him with his foot, eyes not once leaving his phone.

"Keeenmaaaaa," Lev wails on the ground, soaked in sweat. And maybe tears. "Can't we just tell Kuroo-san I did the extra laps?"

"He'll find out. And then he'll have you do more laps."

Lev wails again and Kenma sighs. Seems the younger has failed to remember that even though Kenma's supervising his runs, that also means having to run along with him. And he would rather not have to supervise again if Lev does get punished for ditching his exercises.

He was about to consider kicking his ribs when Lev suddenly springs back to life, revitalized. It was almost frightening. And he lost the level he was trying to beat.

"You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Guitar strings. Oh, and someone is singing in English!"

No longer distracted by his game, Kenma too was able to pick the sounds of a guitar and a person singing close by.

"Let's go see!"

"Wait! Lev-" But he was already off when seconds ago, he complained about not feeling his muscles. Kenma sighs. Sometimes being with Lev is like babysitting a five year old.

He follows after him through the park, the music growing louder as the two draw closer to its source.

 _The worst is over now and we can breathe again_

 _I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away_

 _There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight_

 _I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

They find a girl, looking young and around their age with short purple hair. She wears no school uniform, adorning a cream colored graphic t-shirt, black bondage pants, sneakers, and an assortment of bracelets around her wrists and a choker around her neck. Though the angle is not clear enough to see, her features seem foreign. Black nails hold the pick, strumming a bright blue colored guitar resting on her lap.

' _Cause I'm broken when I'm open_

 _And I don't feel like I am strong enough_

' _Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome_

 _And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

She sings under a thick shady tree. No one seems to be around this area of the park, leaving her by herself. Her only audience seems to be a smoky grey cat lounging near her on the grass.

 _You've gone away_

 _You don't feel me here anymore…_

The cat meows, bringing the girl back to reality and facing the tiny creature, seemingly unaware it had been there for some time. She stares, then slowly reaches out to playfully tap its button nose. Black painted lips turn upwards as the cat's nose and ears twitch from the action.

"How long have you been here little guy? I'm not used to having an audience you know."

The cat meows again and she scratches behind its ears.

"Okay. I'll let it slide this time."

Unknowingly for her, two Nekoma students have listened to her from behind the bushes.

"Wow. That punk chick was awesome!" Lev's eyes glistened. "I have no idea what the lyrics mean but it sounded nice yet sorrowful!"

"We should go Lev."

Lev faces the team's setter and noticed that the second-year looked unusually tense.

"You okay? I mean sure, she looks kinda scary and I can understand you wouldn't like to get involved with types like her, but she doesn't seem so bad."

Kenma shakes his head. "That's not it. We've been out too long and the others will notice-"

"Meoowr…"

The boys jump and before them, sitting just in front of their hiding spot was that same cat, gazing up at them with wide sapphire blue eyes.

The girl was nowhere to be found, but her stuff and her guitar were left under the tree. This is probably a bad sign, if their instincts are telling them anything at the moment.

"M-Maybe she's gone to a vending machine," Lev breaks the ominous silence. "But yeah, we should go-"

"Well lookie here~ More strays!"

The hairs on their skin rise alarmingly. They feel her presence behind them. Still, they slowly turn their heads from their crouched positions. The two were met with a sweet black smile that didn't match the dark fury in those strangely coal black eyes. Despite Lev's enormous height, he felt immensely small under her gaze.

"You poor things wouldn't happen to be lost would you?" Despite her foreign features, her voice, masked in sugar, spoke in flawless Japanese. "So tell me, how long have you two been here…"

If she had a knife, this would play for a scary film. The area was empty, dark thanks to the tall trees, and though dressed casually, the girl could closely resemble evil female creatures that would kidnap children and turn them into soup.

"Not gonna talk huh? You know, spying on a girl while she sings with passion is like peeking at her while she's bathing. That said, this will not go unpunished."

"S-SUMIMASEN!" Both Kenma and the scary girl were caught off guard by Lev's yell, hands clasped together combined with tears and snot. He was shaking like a leaf and Kenma has never seen him like this, not even when facing Kuroo.

And Lev wasn't done. "Please don't chop us into itty bitty pieces to turn us into soup and eat us!" he says fast and in one breath.

…

…

The violet-headed girl blinked, masked anger faded and her expression blank. Kenma wore a similar look, he himself wondering where that thought even came from.

The silence dragged on for what felt like minutes until the girl began laughing. Hard like it's the best joke she's heard in years. Lev and Kenma watch, stunned, as she fell on her back, unable to hold herself up. Neither knew what to do, so they stayed still and quiet until her laughs died down.

Once she calmed and got her breathing back, she spoke.

"Hey. You." She pointed to Lev, not bothering to sit up. The tall spiker jumped. "I have to admit, I've been called for lots of made-up shit, but that's the first I've heard that one. Congrats Colossus, you've earned my respect!"

"Eh… Really?" Lev didn't know what to think. Do people take stuff like that as a compliment? Maybe where she's from? He silently turned to Kenma for help, but the pudding blonde just blinked, probably just as clueless as well.

"Oh good. Looks like I don't have to intervene."

A completely new voice enters the group and the boys were ever so grateful to see their captain come to their rescue. The girl sits up and regards his presence with mild interest. Kuroo however, gives her his sly grin.

"Yo Harriet. Enjoying Tokyo?"

The violet and Lev do a double-take in shock.

"Hold on!"

"You know her Kuroo-san?!"

"I've never seen you before so how the fuck do you know me?"

"Quite the mouth you got there huh kiddo?" Kuroo snickers, enjoying himself, and Kenma had to roll his eyes.

"Cut the shit and tell me who you are and how you know my name!" The girl, Harriet, looked ready to pounce so the captain raises his hands as a sign of peace.

"Relax kid. I'm Tetsurō Kuroo, captain of the Nekoma High volleyball team. The colossal one over there is Haiba Lev, and the quite one is Kozume Kenma."

"Volleyball team? Why do I keep running into volleyball players lately?" she says to no one in particular. She stands and while dusting the dirt off her clothes, she pauses.

"Wait… Kozume Kenma…" she studies the dyed blonde, who's avoiding her gaze and making himself smaller for some reason. "I swear I've heard that name before..."

"Really? From where?" Kuroo asks innocently. He feels the heated stare from his best friend, discreetly trying to burn holes into his skull.

"I don't remember." Only Kuroo caught Kenma's relieved sigh. "Anyway Ondori-san, you still haven't told me how you know my name."

"Ondori-san?" He didn't fail to catch Lev's giggle and Kenma's cough. So that's how it is huh?

He smiles. "Well, you can thank your cousin for that _Medusa-chan_. He talks about you a lot and has warned me of your arrival earlier."

Medusa huh? Good one, but she still gives higher props to the tall guy named Lev.

Wait. Scott talks about her? A lot? If it's her father she'd understand but…

"So you know Scott? Does that mean you're his client?" She decides to ignore that fact for now.

"Not this time, but I am invited as well as my team."

"I see. Then who is his client?"

There's that grin again, like he knows something she doesn't, and it's grinding her nerves.

"You'll find out soon enough. Party starts at four-thirty so it's not like we have to wait much longer."

Wait four-thirty? "You mean it's held at the restaurant that's apparently unknown to people?"

"It hides well, but sticks out like a sore thumb if you know where to look. It's also foreign, which makes the place a hidden gem to us locals."

A foreign restaurant? From what country? Scott really hadn't told her much about what he's doing here. In fact, he hasn't told her anything at all! It doesn't help that she hasn't seen him all day since morning, leaving without her knowing. The hell is he up to?

"Say, since we'll be heading to the same place, why don't you stick with us for the rest of practice?" Kuroo suggests. He ignores Kenma's perplexed look headed his way. "It's for the best, since you might need help finding it."

He does have a point, Harriet thought to herself. It's better than following Scott's stupid directions, plus Kuroo seems to know a lot and she plans to get answers out of him.

"Alright fine. Let me get my stuff."

The boys leave her to it and when she gone back to her spot, Kenma zeros in on his friend, in a stride that surprises Lev.

"You didn't tell me she'd be here."

Kuroo isn't as affected at the sharp tone. He shrugs his shoulders. "Got the news just now from him. I planned to tell you once I did, but I hadn't anticipated this."

He noticed the hint of apology in his speech and Kenma calmed down. The setter bowed his head in guilt. "Oh. Sorry Kuro."

"It's cool."

"Um…" Lev speaks up, feeling out of place like he wasn't in on something. He looked to both his upperclassmen. "So what's up? You two seem to know her… but is something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it Lev!" Kuroo claps his back. "Scott had to bring his little cousin with him. Apparently stuff went down at Karasuno so she's out of school for a couple days."

"She got suspended? Why?" That would explain why she's not in school.

"He didn't give me the full story, but she got wrongly accused. So she's here to unwind and I think tonight's party will help greatly with that."

"Hm, I wonder what she got wrongly accused for?" Lev thought.

"You should ask her, since she seems to like you already," Kuroo teases.

Lev shivers a bit, remembering her haunting gaze when he and Kenma were caught. "I'll pass…"

There was definitely something Kuroo and Kenma weren't telling him. From the moment they saw her, the small second-year reacted badly, tried to avoid her when she faced him. It's odd since the girl didn't know him, but recognized his name. Maybe she doesn't remember meeting him? If they did meet, did something happen between them? It left the tall spiker confused and wondered if he should ask Kenma about it later.

Harriet returns minutes later, hands in her pockets while her guitar, secured in its case, hangs over her shoulder.

"Alright Ondori-san, lead the way."

 **AN: So yeah. Didn't expect the appearance of Nekoma? Planned that from the start. What I didn't plan though is for Scott to have plot. Oh well~**

 **Back at it again with the nicknames too! Ondori means Rooster LOL. I don't remember if Hinata ever said the nickname Rooster Head to Kuroo's face, did he? Also it's been a while since I'm back on the Haikyuu wagon so I hope the Nekoma students aren't out of character...**

 **Again, search up weird songs from the 90s on google. The songs I mentioned are on the list. Dude, I haven't listened to some of these in FOREVER and some I forgot they even existed! But the music videos! My. GOD. You have to see for yourself because they're hard to describe. I laughed hard at some of them.**

 **Anyway, stay tuned for more soon and if there are any mistakes, then I sincerely apologize.**

 **Lyrics are from:**

 **"Good Riddance" by Green Day**

 **"The Powerpuff Girls (End Theme)" by Bis**

 **"Broken" by Seether ft. Amy Lee**


	12. La Carmela

**AN: OH MY FUCKING GOD I'M BACK! I AM BACK. LOOK AT ME!**

 **Never thought I'd be back, but some time ago I was surfing through my old files and found this chapter. It was halfway done and was collecting dust. I decided to finish it. I also went through my entire story and tweaked some errors here and there. FINALLY. Some mistakes I kept seeing were driving me crazy I had to do something about them!**

 **But anywho, without further ado, please enjoy this update!**

Chapter 12: La Carmela

Around the time when the sun barely ascends its glowing light above the horizon, Scott sneaks out the hotel room while his cousin still sleeps. He makes sure his note is visible for her to see before he leaves. Fighting back a yawn, he descends an elevator and travels straight to the hotel's parking lot to pick up his van. He gets inside and buckles up with a grin.

He's got a busy day today and he's been preparing for it for weeks. Now is when it all comes together.

Controlling his giddiness, he drives to his first destination.

* * *

" _Yo. I know you're there."_

 _There was a gasp, but the figure hiding behind a tree refuses to move and reveal themself. A young man tilts his head and stands from the bench, guitar in hand._

" _Hey, I don't bite. Never to a lovely audience such as yourself," he encourages. They still don't move and he frowns. Thinking, he eyes the instrument in his hands and grins, an idea conjuring up. Positioning his guitar he decides to continue playing._

 _The song he sings is another Spanish song, "Amanecí Entre Tus Brazos" by Javier Solis. His tone was slow and alluring as the lyrics talk about waking up in a lover's arms. As the boy sings, he steps closer to the girl's hiding spot. Just as he was close enough to catch a glimpse of her face, she moves around the wooden structure to further hide from him._

 _Though surprised, he doesn't relent and it was a game of cat and mouse between the two youngsters, one singing to beckon the shy maiden and the other, shy and nervy yet very intrigued at the stranger she came across._

 _The boy quickly turns to a direction where he's sure he would run into the girl face to face, but the space was empty. He stops singing and looks around, but no presence of the girl could be found. It was like she vanished._

 _Then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. And it made him jump. He trips on a root and with a cry, he falls on his back._

" _Ouch…" Groaning, he sits up slowly, eyes twisted shut at the minor sting from the impacted spot._

 _He hears a giggle and a hand suddenly meets his vision. Surprised, he looks up._

 _And is instantly captivated by what could only be the face of an angel. At least in his perspective._

 _Honey brown eyes stood out most of all, beautifully, with her light tan skin and her rosy pink lips smiling kindly. Chocolate locks twined in a single braid down her back and flowers that crowned her head made her look like she was Mother Nature herself._

 _The boy could only stare, entranced at such beauty. Though he has met many beautiful girls so far in his young life, now, none of them can compare._

 _He just sits dumbly on the ground, eyes wide and mouth agape, making the girl uneasy until she finally willed herself to speak._

" _Um… you're very talented."_

 _That broke whatever spell the boy was under and he stands up quickly, making the girl jump back._

" _Oh really?" He forces a laugh, trying to appear cool and calm. "Well in truth, I don't really play the guitar that much. It's just a hobby."_

" _Oh, well despite that… it sounded really nice. I even recognized all the songs you played." She looks down as she plays with her fingers. "It's rare to hear Spanish music you know."_

" _No kidding."_

 _Relaxed enough at the other's presence, the two sat together at the bench and simply talked._

" _Now, I can tell you're not from around here. So what's your story, if you don't mind me asking?"_

" _I don't mind," she smiles. "Part of my family runs a business here and eventually, my parents and I moved from Mexico to help, since it was slowly becoming successful. My parents are currently working in Kyoto while I'm here to assist my grandmother."_

" _Bet it took some time to adjust."_

" _It did. I was only ten when we moved out the country. During middle school, I still had trouble understanding Japanese and I had just as much trouble making new friends. I wanted to go home so bad, I cried in the first few weeks." She giggles at the memories. Then, she peers at the boy. "So why don't you tell me your story now that I've told you mine?"_

" _Okay, but it's not that interesting," he says with a shrug. "I've only been here for about a year so far. Lots of stuff happened back in good ol' Cali, but my dad married a Japanese businessman so like you, we moved here to continue it."_

" _A year? This is the first I've ever seen someone like you here in Tokyo. What school do you go to?"_

" _Karasuno, up in the Miyagi Prefecture. Been hoping to score a few gigs here, but alas, the life of a DJ is a hard one." He flashes a charming smile at her. "Although now I can say this trip wasn't all for naught, after meeting such a lovely girl~"_

" _Oh stop," she laughs and punches his shoulder playfully, her cheeks dusted red._

" _But I'm serious. When I have the time, I would love to come see you again."_

 _She looks to him, surprised. "R-Really?"_

" _Yup! This can be the start of a beautiful friendship between two foreigners of Japan." The young man holds his hand out to shake. "Scott Thompson milady. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."_

" _The pleasure is mine Señor Thompson." The girl takes his hand and the two shake. "My name is Carmela Flores."_

XXXXX

Since it's the early hours of the morning, the streets aren't as robust. Scott drives with ease and parks in front of a round archway in between tall venue structures. Despite it's out of place design and its bright sand color contrasting significantly with other buildings surrounding it, most would pass by and think nothing of it.

Scott enters through the long dark archway to the other side. There, he was met with a wide open space, filled with bush gardens, large clay pots, tables, chairs, and a gazebo. Paper lanterns and lights hung skyward.

At the left stood a unique structure of the Mediterranean style built with similar round arches. Moving in and out through the double door entrance were employee workers. Any other day, they wouldn't be up at this time, but today was a special occasion as they were setting up preparations. They weren't even dressed in their usual uniforms today, but were instead in their casual wear. Upon seeing Scott, they all gave him a warm welcome.

"Ah Scott-san! Buenos dias!" a man booms, coming to greet him. He's Japanese, but has taken an interest in Spanish culture since he was young and thus, perfected speaking the language. Often, he speaks in a mix of both Spanish and Japanese. He's now the co-owner of the establishment.

"Buenos dias Señor Nobuo!" Scott greets back and the two shake hands.

"I hope the journey wasn't rough."

"You worry too much! I'm more than used to the travels by now. Nara is a lovely place by the way. I recommend you visit sometime."

Nobuo chuckles while shaking his head. "I'll keep that in mind. Meanwhile, try not to keep giving your parents a heart attack from all these long solo trips by car."

"Lesson learned! My parents nearly strangled me for that one! Oh, speaking of solo trips, I got big news to share with you and Abuela-san!"

* * *

Hours pass and its past noon. At a university in Tokyo, a girl had just finished up her last class for the day and instead of returning to her dorm to tackle her newest chemistry assignment project, today is a break day. It is a special day that includes spending time with family and friends she hasn't seen since adjusting to her new life as a college student.

She makes a quick stop to her dorm to get ready, surprised to find a gift left for her by her roommate. Smiling, she stores it in her room before hurrying, else she'd miss her scheduled train ride.

She would then be seen outside, jogging towards the campus exit in a hurry to get to the station in time. However, as she passes the gates, she suddenly stops upon hearing an all too familiar voice, singing a familiar Spanish song.

Suddenly feeling ten times lighter while her heartrate slowly skyrockets, she slowly turns behind her. Upon seeing the young man's face, a face she thought she wouldn't be able to see today, she had to ask herself if she was dreaming.

Seeing her look so surprised, Scott gave her a warm sincere smile and spoke in a teasing voice.

"What? Did you really believe I wouldn't make it today? Abuela-san must've made a very convincing lie-"

His breath was knocked out of his lungs as the young lady barreled him into a crushing hug. He's able to laugh, despite the pressure, and returns the embrace the best he could with his guitar wedged awkwardly between them. It was uncomfortable, but manageable.

"Happy Birthday Carmela," Scott says into her soft brown head decorated with flowers. He fights back the ticklish feeling when the girl nuzzles into his shirt.

"You jerk," her voice gets muffled as she speaks. "Granny said you got injured during your job again."

"Seriously?" He scoffs humorously. "Hey, those were her words not mine! And I don't always get injured. Not seriously anyway. Mosh pits happen beyond my control and how can you _not_ join in when it does?"

"And _that's_ why you always get injured," she says matter-of-factly and pulls away. She peers close and pokes and a spot on his arm, making Scott flinch. "And this obviously proves that Granny wasn't lying!"

"Okay okay so I got banged up a little, but it wasn't from work this time!" Scott gently rubs the bruise, one of many that had yet to disappear. He chuckles. "Instead I may have sort of pissed of my cousin, but I can confidently say that it was worth it!"

"What did you do?" Carmela's voice was stern, but her bright eyes and knowing smile gave away her excitement to hear another one of Scott's stories about his family, especially his little cousin.

"Oh you are going to love this one." Scott gives his signature grin and pulls her close with one arm around her shoulders. Carmela fails to hide her blush as he leads them to the direction of the station.

And so Scott steals her away from her initial plans to visit her home and instead they have a little date. Unbeknownst to her, Scott was distracting her until preparations were finally done and once given the okay through his phone, he could escort her to her surprise party, where everyone will be waiting.

In the meantime, Scott takes her to a fancy-looking little kiosk café he remembers running into and once they ordered (him paying for two of course despite her protests), he filled her in on everything that's happened during Harriet's time in Japan. As expected, Carmela soaked it all in like a sponge, listening intently while eating her crêpe as if she were watching a movie. It's funny when he could easily read her expressions at some parts.

When he talks about Junichi's club debut and how it motivated Harriet to continue her dreams to pursue her father, Carmela practically glows with elation. Then, when he tells her about how Harriet got her suspension, she nearly drops her crêpe in horror and then expresses her understanding, being met with her share of unfair punishments in the past.

And then Scott got down to the more interesting parts, about Harriet's run-in with a guy at her school (going by the stories Jun and his friends told him), the experiences they've witnessed at the mall Saturday, as well as his actions to confront the scene himself, the unexpected call, and the beat-up that came after.

In the end, Carmela was found laughing, both at Scott's idiocy and at Harriet's and Tsukishima's misfortune.

"That was terrible Scott!" she manages to say between giggles. "I can only imagine what that call was about. Poor guy."

"Ah he'll be fine… wait." Scott ponders. He then smiles guiltily. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Aunt Lily tries to gather information about him. She tends to do that when something or someone piques her interest. Sort of a bad habit of hers."

"It can't be that bad… right?"

"It wouldn't be… if it weren't for the fact that her parents were detectives and private investigators and she grew up learning a lot of tricks from them."

Carmela stares at him before lifting her hand. She forms it to a fist and gives a good solid punch to his arm. Scott howls in pain, the impact nearly made him fall off his chair but grabs the table in time before he could.

"Ooowww I know, I should've thought that through, but did you have to do that?!" he whines. She even punched at one of his bruised spots.

"That's just to make sure you won't make a mistake like that again," she says with a huff. "Harriet might have a chance with this guy, but thanks to you he'll get too scared, knowing her mom will be tracking down his every move!"

"Welp, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," he attempts to shrug. "Also question… do you think she's really into him? I mean I will say this move has made her mental psyche flip a little bit, because she's now interacted with more people than she's ever had back in the US. Plus there's the fact that she's been a lone wolf in the music department but is now part of a music club. And then all of a sudden she's having boy issues, like actual _conflicted_ boy issues, for the first time ever. And it's weird because ever since she was six and found her mother's collection of French dramas, she's been devoted to that bizarre dream like a nun!"

Scott slump in his seat and rubs his temples. "I dunno, just seeing that suddenly change is… it's-"

"Worrying?"

"I am not worried." Scott defends pointedly.

Carmela smiles and leans close enough to pierce her gaze into his eyes and says, "You're worried."

Scott's defense crumbles a little and he had to turn away when it got too much. "Okaysomaybeimalittleworried." He coughs and plays it off. "Now answer my question."

"Well…" Carmela taps her chin. "I think of it this way, she's already starting to build a foundation here, whether she's aware of it or not, and despite its ups and downs, things have improved for her tremendously. Things that were broken that she never thought could be fixed are slowly repairing and things she never thought she'll experience began unfolding before her. And the longer she stays, the more her foundation will start to grow. Soon the thought of building a new foundation somewhere else will sound less appealing because that would mean leaving everything she's made behind."

"So… that's a yes?"

Carmela giggles and shakes her head. "Yes. I think it'll be good for her if she's feeling something for the boy. She should give it some thought before disregarding it. Granny always did say that God is the one who plans our lives and we only think we do." She sighs and rests her chin on her palms. "Now I really wish I could meet your cousin. I would treat her like my own little sister and it sounds like she could really use one."

Scott pauses mid-drink from his hot latte and grins big. "Oh really? Well ain't today your lucky day! I didn't originally plan this, but poor Harriet has to do _something_ during her suspension or else she'll just hole herself in her room doing nothing."

"R-Really? You mean…"

"I don't know where she's occupying her time right now, no doubt she's touring around the city. Shopping is also a definite- _Woah!_ "

He shouts as the impact knocks his chair backwards enough for him to catapult to the ground, taking Carmela with him. He's winded for the second time as the girl in his arms nuzzles him affectionately while squealing. If people were eyeing them nearby, he could care less.

"Haha, well someone's happy. I'm starting to think you might like Harriet more than me."

"Silly." She pokes his side playfully.

The two just lie there on the concrete floor, not bothering to get up just yet, content with each other's closeness. Being separated at far distances can do that, so no one can blame them.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Scott breaks the silence. "I should call Kuroo and let him know I'm here."

* * *

Back at the Miyagi Prefecture, the boys of the Karasuno volleyball team had just finished up their last rounds of practice and were all in the clubrooms getting ready to change, pack up, and head home.

The group chatted amongst themselves, the major topic of the day being what their homerooms will be doing for the annual Cultural Festival taking place in the next month. Hinata, while struggling into a fresh non-sweaty shirt, was engrossed into Tanaka's story on how his and other second-year classes decided on doing a reenactment of the Trojan War, but also plan on making a game out of it where other people can join. Weapons for the battle included water balloons and color powder to spice up the game, as was suggested by Hiroki.

"Hey Hinata, someone's calling you!" Nishinoya called, waving the younger's phone.

"Huh? Who is it?"

"Let's see…" The libero checks the caller ID and gapes in surprise at the name as well as the ID picture of the familiar punk girl, supporting a flirty wink while blowing a kiss. "No way, you have Thompson-chick's number?!"

"Y-Yeah so? What of it?" the first-year stammers, embarrassed that someone saw the selfie Harriet took when she gave him her contact info. "Friends give each other their numbers right? What's so wrong about that?"

"Yeah, because flirting with each other definitely counts as something friends would do," came the all-knowing sarcastic tone of Tsukishima, focusing his attention on stuffing his dirty clothes into his bag.

"We don't f-f-fl-flir- w-we don't do that!" The little decoy flushes hard and seeing this, the tall blonde gives a smirk.

"Oh? Could it be that Hinata has a crush on Thompson?"

Yamaguchi, ever the supporter of his friend's jibes, snickers beside him. Meanwhile Kageyama, who hadn't really paid attention to most of the conversation but somehow heard Tsukishima loud and clear, nearly choked in his water and turns his head quickly to the small ginger.

"You… you do? Since when?"

"I do not!" the poor boy shouts, his face steaming like a hot kettle. "She just teases me sometimes and that's it! And like you're the one to talk Tsukishima, because you have her number too!"

"Technically I do, but that's only because you decided to give her my number, without my permission mind you," he voiced with irritation. He still hasn't forgiven Hinata for that. He goes back to smiling. "So you can't use that against me."

A good handful of the team would've made a comeback to that, concerning what they've witnessed last week Saturday. But nobody would dare voice it, not because they believe Tsukishima would do anything to them if he found out they had spied on him and Thompson. However, Thompson might if she finds out, and they all saw the damage done to Scott that day. It wasn't worth it. Plus, Yamaguchi forbade them to say anything about it.

" _Aww how cute!"_

The boys froze.

" _I wasn't expecting to attract this much attention by simply calling, but surprise surprise~ And I haven't been gone a whole day yet!"_

All heads turn to Nishinoya, who wore a fox grin as he holds up Hinata's phone, call answered and turned on speaker. Out of the group, Tanaka was trying hard not to burst from hysteria.

"Dude you did not."

Nishinoya puffs with pride. "I sure did."

The third-years, plus Enoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita, could already feel a migraine coming, because this could end very, very drastically.

"H-H-Hari-chan!" Hinata squeaks, because oh god she heard the whole thing. "I… t-th-that was… I-I mean… I don't- I-"

" _Don't worry Hinata-chan! Don't you think I know Debbie-chan well enough to know he'd pull something like that? He's just jealous I that I like to pour all my attention on you, because you're a sweet sugar honeybun that deserves to be loved~"_

Everyone watches with a mixture of amusement and pity for the small decoy as he hides his face with his hands, inwardly wishing to make like a chameleon and disappear.

"I have no reason to be jealous of Hinata," Tsukishima counters with a grimace. "And I'd rather avoid getting any attention from you."

A rather sinister giggle is what greets the team in response, like an evil sorceress about to cast her deadly curse, and it brought all of them to shudder.

" _Funny you say that Deb-bie-chan~"_ she starts. _"You didn't seem to mind the way I spoiled you Saturday evening."_

At this, everyone got to witness Tsukishima tense and flush crimson. It's a shock factor, because this is the first time anyone has ever seen the middle blocker like this- with the exception of Yamaguchi, but even for him these instances are rare to encounter.

" _In fact, your behavior that day surprised me! You were so compliant I almost thought something was wrong with you! Too bad my stupid cousin had to come in and ruin it. I was honestly having fun with that different side of you~"_

Words seem to die in his throat as he stares agape at Hinata's phone in Nishinoya's hand, Thompson's ID picture only adding salt to his wounded ego. Whatever snarky remark he had was blown away like dust, never to recollect.

" _Anyway, this is probably a bad time to talk right now so I'll call you again later Hinata-chan. I'll send you pictures too okay? Look after Junichi for me! Smooches!"_

As soon as she hangs up, the once chatty clubroom was rendered to silence. Almost no one knew what to say about this development as they were torn between wanting to laugh and wanting comfort their two unfortunate teammates, for they were both in a state of 'I-Really-Wish-I-Could-Hide-From-the-World-Right-Now-and-Never-Return'. And this was all because of a foreign new girl most knew little to nothing about, only knowing from rumors and stories that she's a force not to be reckoned with.

Eventually, Nishinoya breaks the silence, flashing Asahi a huge grin. "See? I told you this chick is awesome!"

* * *

I hang up with a sigh. Well that was fun, but in the end I failed to get the information I wanted. I called Junichi first to no success, because he talked so much about the Cultural Festival, coming in November, that it was impossible for me to change the subject. Thinking about it though, he probably wouldn't know much anyway.

So Hinata was my next best option, since he's in volleyball so he should be familiar other rival teams. I was hoping that he might know Nekoma, that he might even know Kenma.

Ugh, yes despite trying hopelessly not to care or think too much of it, I still can't get that name out of my head. Kozume Kenma. Meeting the guy, I know I've never seen him before so why does the name stand out? Did I read it somewhere? My god this is going to drive me insane!

And that's not even the main issue I'm dealing with here.

So apparently not only Kuroo knows me, but the _entire_ Nekoma team does as well! Can you imagine how I felt, having a bunch of strangers you've never met before _know you?_ I wanted to punch something so bad, but the source of my frustration and reason for my predicament was currently 'busy' with his 'errands' at the moment. The team captain, who seemed to enjoy my suffering when he introduced me to the team, is looking to be a nice replacement though.

I sigh again as I lean against the wall while watching the sun slowly set and change the colors of the sky. Some time ago, the boys were done with practice and went to the clubrooms to change. So I stood outside waiting. I really want to find Scott, but fuck knows where he is right now. He hasn't even answered my calls! I swear, when I find him I will-

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Medusa-chan."

I turn my head and there were the Nekoma boys, all of them dressed casual for this party I still know nothing about. And like a ringleader of a gang, Kuroo stood at the front. I glared, expressing my sour mood, and almost all the boys turned away nervously, Kenma literally making himself scarce behind Lev. Sadly, the glare I was aiming at only tilted his head quizzically.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Fucking rooster head trying to play innocent huh? Fine.

I changed my expression to a sweet smile. "Oh nothing. I just can't _wait_ to reunite with my lovely cousin, **so that I can kick his nut sack so hard his new job will be singing in the opera**."

All faces turned white, including Kuroo's, and my spirits were lifted.

"So what are we waiting for my new buddy pal friends," I continued, all peppy. " **Lead me to Scott's doom…** "

And so they did, and with their guidance, I began my trek through the city streets to where Scott said we should meet. While the team chatted amongst themselves, Kuroo (for some reason) decides to start a conversation with me.

"So, you really don't know what's going on. He hasn't told you anything?"

"Jack shit," I answer, shoving my hands in my pockets. "So are you gonna reveal the big mystery or am I really gonna have to beat it out of Scott?"

"Is violence your answer to everything?"

"It's worked for me thus far."

He shakes his head. "How Scott's managed to survive around you for so long is beyond me, but I guess I'll save him from his grueling fate. We're heading to a Mexican Restaurant."

My eyes were wide. "There's Mexican food here?"

"Very few and hard to find, but they exist. An old lady and her granddaughter runs the place we're heading to. The granddaughter used to be our senpai until she moved on to college. Kenma and I knew her since middle school, and that restaurant became one of our favorite spots to grab a bite. We bring the Nekoma team for various occasions, such as celebrating a successful win, and they've all come to like the foreign food."

"I see." It's still hard to believe Mexican restaurants exist here, even if they are very rare. "So what's the occasion this time?"

"Carmela Flores, the granddaughter, it's her birthday today and Abuela-san's setting up a surprise party for her, inviting all of us, including Scott. Meanwhile, Scott's tasked in distracting Flora-san long enough so everything can be ready. Shouldn't be hard for him. The only worrying factor about this plan is the two getting so distracted with each other, they complete forget there's a party waiting for them."

I stare blankly at the last sentence. Distracted with each other?

"What?"

That amused expression returns on Kuroo's face. He grins down at me.

"Come on. You can't be that clueless as to what I mean by that. Well, I can't blame you, honestly. Back when I first met him, hanging around with Flora-san as her new friend, I was wary he would take advantage of her. Needless to say, Kenma and I didn't like him very much, neither did Abuela-san. But surprisingly over time, he was able to gain our approval. And now those two refuse to separate every time they schedule to meet. I swear it's like watching a romantic comedy."

It probably took a little longer than normal for me to process what he just said. I mean, I definitely understood what Kuroo's implying. What's difficult is the fact that Kuroo's implying that Scott is in a relationship with this girl.

That can't be right.

"We're talking about the same Scott right?" I had to ask, because the Scott I knew back in America never took relationships seriously. He was one of those skirt chasers, commitment never part of the equation. So to hear this is very… off-putting.

That and I can't imagine _anyone_ willing to put up with that brainless idiot.

Kuroo had the gall to laugh. "We sure are! It's close to two years now since they've been together."

"…EEEEHHHHHHH?!"

* * *

It's past midnight in the state of California.

Tia had a long weekend, excited yet nervous that her team got selected to compete for the sem-finals in the dance championship. Her family had never been more proud and chose to celebrate, but Tia knew if she really wants to win and compete for World, she'll have to practice harder than she's ever done.

But tonight's the night for some well-deserved sleep and once she hit the mattress, Tia was out like an elephant hit by a dozen tranquilizer shots. One would guess that nothing, not even a massive earthquake, could wake up the snoring girl.

Her phone buzzes while its ringtone loudly fills the air around the dark room. Tia wakes with a groan and without lifting her head from the pillow, blindly grabs for her phone, which lay a bit far from her reach on her nightstand. But with the right amount of stretching, she grabbed it successfully. She turns her weight so she's facing the ceiling and slowly lifts her sleeping mask, mindful of the screen's blaring light.

Oh, it's her pen pal. He's sent a message.

Then came another.

And another.

Tia yawns, stretching her arms. Knowing her friend's habits long enough, he usually doesn't text in such a flurry like this, meaning the subject must be important.

Rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes, she sits up and proceeds to open the chat box. There, she reads the messages.

[Your friend, Harriet.]

[She's here.]

[In Tokyo.]

[What should I do?]

Tia blinks at the screen. Blinks again to be sure she's read it right.

Well then. She quickly types a reply.

{Did you run into her? If so, did she recognize you?}

[I didn't have much of a choice.]

[She said my name sounded familiar, but no she didn't recognize me.]

Tia expands her cheeks, looking like a chipmunk. It made sense, thinking about it. The last time Harriet ever saw his face were from his middle school pictures. Still, the only difference in appearance now would be his hair color. Plus, she talks about him a lot with her. It shouldn't be too hard to connect the dots.

It's just one of those moments where her dear friend Harriet tends to be forgetful.

[But I fear Kuroo might spill enough hints for her to figure it out.]

[What should I do?]

And after receiving a sticker of a cute animated cat panicking, Tia fights the urge to chuckle. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell Kenma all the stories of Harriet beating guys left and right due to her overprotectiveness. She had a feeling he'd end up thinking she'll disapprove of him and will wind up like the others, which is highly untrue! She types.

{Kenma you'll be fine!}

{Trust me when I say this, Harriet really likes you and will totally want to get to know you more once she does figure it out lol.}

{She'll be a lot to handle, but she's very respectful and knows when to not push boundaries.}

{She… might ask a few embarrassing questions tho. Haha.}

Tia waits patiently, more awake now than she was recently. Due to Kenma's lack in the social department and wary of interacting with new people (especially with types like Harriet), she really hopes the boy will take her words to heart. A minute feels like an eternity before she gets a reply back.

[I see.]

[What kind of questions?]

Thankfully he does believe her! Tia would've expressed relief if not for the second message. She thinks long and hard on how to answer this, thinking back to the conversation she had with Harriet the weekend before. The memory makes her blush.

{I wouldn't worry about it. It's not important lmao.}

[You're lying.]

{It's not anything bad! Really! You won't find it interesting anyway.}

[Hm.]

[Alright.]

At this, Tia could feel herself finally relax. If he were to press the subject further, she would have absolutely no idea what to say.

[It's late there, isn't it? I'll let you sleep.]

[Sorry for disturbing you.]

{How many times do I have to tell you I don't mind?}

{I always look forward to speaking with you no matter what time it is.}

[…]

[You just got back from competing.]

{I did and we're on to the semi-finals!}

[Oh. Congrats.]

This time he sends one of the kitty with pompoms cheering.

{Thank you!}

Tia sends a sticker of two kittens hugging.

{How's volleyball?}

[Difficult.]

{Pfft. You always say that!}

[The first-years are giving me stress.]

{Be more assertive!}

[That's too much work.]

{Kenma}

{You achieve S+ Rank on Splatoon. S+. RANK. You can be assertive!}

[That's different.]

{Kenmaaaaaa}

[Tiaaaaaaaaa]

Trying not to laugh too loud is a struggle, in fear she might wake up her parents. But her pen pal can be too ridiculous sometimes.

{You... you know what}

{I give up DX}

[lol]

[I'll talk to you later ok?]

{Lmao. Okay!}

[Sleep well.]

{I will :D}

She lands her head back onto her pillows, a content sigh escapes through her lips.

"So Harriet is spending her suspension in Tokyo huh," Tia murmurs, followed by a heavy yawn, sleep quickly coming back. "Hope she has a good time…"

* * *

Scott was correct to say the place was well hidden. If one never knew a restaurant lays just beyond the archway tunnel, no one would have guessed nor bothered to go inside.

The grandeur of the place almost made Harriet believe she's not in Japan anymore, but back in North America. It's breathtakingly beautiful, especially with the added decorations.

"Woah…"

"Pretty cool huh?"

A speechless nod is all Kuroo receives and the captain chuckles.

"Ah, you boys finally arrive," came the voice of an old lady as she strolls up to them, wearing a plain white button-up and a multi-color patterned skirt that reached her ankles. A red carnation is pined beautifully on her gray hair.

"Buenas noches Abuela-san!" The Nekoma boys all greet her respectfully. It shouldn't be all too surprising, since Kuroo mentioned they've come here often. Still, hearing the Spanish term from them took Harriet off guard.

"Dios Mío! You must be Harriet!"

She tenses. On the spotlight again. Great.

"Scott warned us the last minute that he brought you here with him. It's just like that boy to drop news like this unexpectedly. Such disrespect!" Though the woman outwardly expressed displeasure, her jovial smile told a different story.

"Hari-chan is apparently having it worse than all of us at the moment!" one of the players, Inouka spoke up.

"Yup. By chance, if Kenma and Lev hadn't found her earlier, she wouldn't know anything about this at all," Kuroo adds. He smiles and pats the girl on the head. "At least until she reunites with Scott, but he'd likely end up in the nearest hospital if that were to happen."

"I am right here. I have a mouth. I can speak for myself." She ducks away from the large hand. "Weirdo."

"Why am I a weirdo?"

"Be glad I didn't call you a creep. You haven't yet tipped that scale."

"Well, I'll grow on you eventually. All ladies do." Kuroo fires his signature lady-killer wink.

Harriet remains unimpressed and even reels back a bit further away from him. "Keep telling yourself that."

Abuela-san's laughter was enough to break up the interaction and bring the attention back to her. Something about her reminded Harriet of her own grandmother.

"Regardless, since the day I heard of your move, I was hoping to meet you one day. My granddaughter Carmela will certainly be super exited to see you as well!"

A girl Harriet has never met before wants to see her? To the purple head, it didn't make sense. She wonders what sort of lies Scott's been telling her. What sort of lies has he been telling to everyone here? Were they to make himself look good? That…

That doesn't sound like him.

Low as he could be sometimes, Scott isn't THAT big of a jerk. He's never the type to deceive people.

Then what else can explain this?

Harriet's head began hurting too much to even try to piece this mystery together. At least she's got some questions answered. Sadly, the answers only seem to pile on more questions.

In the end, she decides not to think anymore and just see what unfolds through this birthday party to end. It'll take a strong sense of will doing this.

Hopefully, she'll survive.

 **AN: And that concludes the chapter! Just gonna point out now that I am not from Mexico and I know little Spanish. I'm just an African American. So if there are some things wrong here, PLEASE respond respectfully. I will do my best to make adjustments if there is need for any.**

 **Other than that, hopefully, I will post another chapter soon. Hopefully.**


End file.
